Features of Patients with COVID-19 in England, Scotland, and Wales

Most early information on the clinical course and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 came from Chinese cohort studies, but health systems and populations in western countries differ considerably from those in China. Researchers have now presented the first analysis from a prospective observational cohort study involving 20,133 patients with COVID-19 who had been admitted to 208 hospitals in England, Scotland, and Wales between February 6 and April 19, 2020, representing one third of all admissions for COVID-19 during the study period.

Median age of the patients was 73 years; 60% were male. Their most common symptoms were fever (72%), shortness of breath (71%), cough (69%), and enteric symptoms (29%). The most prevalent comorbidities were pulmonary disease including asthma (32%), chronic cardiac disease (31%), diabetes (28%), chronic kidney disease (16%), dementia (14%), neurologic disorders (11%), obesity (11%), malignancy (10%), and rheumatic disease (10%); 23% reported no comorbidities. Seventeen percent required admission to the intensive care unit, 16% received noninvasive ventilation, and 10% received invasive ventilation.

By May 3, 41% of the patients had been discharged alive, 26% had died, and 34% were still in hospital. Of those who died, median age was 80 years, and only 11% had no comorbidities. Unfavorable outcomes increased with level of care. On multivariate analysis, parameters independently associated with mortality included older age, male sex, chronic cardiac disease, chronic nonasthmatic pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, obesity, chronic neurologic disorder, dementia, malignancy, and moderate/severe liver disease.