Clinical Course and Outcomes of Critically Ill Adults with COVID-19 in the U.S.

Relatively large series of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have been reported from China and Europe but not from the U.S. Given that a large proportion of U.S. cases occurred in New York City (NYC), a report from two NYC hospitals provides important information. Between March 2 and April 1, 2020, the two hospitals admitted 1150 adults with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The analyses focused on the 257 (22%) who were critically ill.

Median age was 62 years, 67% were men, 62% were Hispanic/Latino, and 5% were healthcare workers. The large majority (82%) had a chronic illness including hypertension (63%), diabetes (36%), or obesity; 46% had a BMI ≥30. The most common presenting symptoms were dyspnea, fever, cough, myalgias, and diarrhea. Ly…