Predictors for COVID-19-Specific and Non-COVID-19-Specific Deaths: A Cohort Study in Taiwan

• Published in: Asia-Pacific journal of public health 2024-11, Vol.36 (8), p.730-737
• Main Authors: Chan, Shang-Yih, Lai, Hsin-Hao, Lai, Yun-Ju, Huang, Chao-Ming, Chen, Chu-Chieh, Chang, Shen-Shong, Yen, Yung-Feng, Chiu, Yi-Chun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1010-5395; 1941-2479; 1941-2479
• DOI: 10.1177/10105395241282634

Predictors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-specific and non-COVID-19-specific deaths have not been extensively studied. This cohort study in Taiwan investigated predictors for COVID-19-specific and non-COVID-19-specific deaths among hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. From January to July 2022, 2196 COVID-19 patients at Taipei City Hospital were consecutively recruited in this cohort study. Among the 175 deceased COVID-19 patients, 147 (84.0%) and 28 (16.0%) had COVID-19-specific and non-COVID-19-specific deaths, respectively. After controlling for other covariates, multinomial logistic regressions showed that age ≥ 65 was significantly associated with higher risks for both COVID-19-specific, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.21; and non-COVID-19-specific deaths (AOR = 6.06). Fully vaccinated individuals (AOR = 0.50) and Paxlovid recipients (AOR = 0.45) had lower COVID-19-specific death risks, while comorbid cancer or end-stage renal disease patients faced higher risks of non-COVID-19-specific deaths. Our study findings suggest that vaccination and Paxlovid treatment are crucial for reducing SARS-CoV-2-specific mortalities, while comorbid patients need careful monitoring to reduce non-COVID-19-specific deaths.