COVID-19 and Comorbidities: Audit of 2,000 COVID-19 Deaths in India
Shaffi Fazaludeen Koya, Shahul H. Ebrahim, Lekha D. Bhat, Bindhya Vijayan, Salman Khan, Soji D. Jose, Zarin Pilakkadavath, Premini Rajeev, Jinbert L. Azariah
Abstract
BACKGROUND: On September 5, 2020, India reported the second highest COVID-19 cases globally. Given India's unique disease burden including both infectious and chronic diseases, there is a need to study the survival patterns of COVID-19. We aimed to describe the factors associated with COVID-19 deaths in the State of Tamil Nadu that has the highest COVID-19 case burden among the Indian states, and to compare deaths among COVID patients with and without comorbidities. METHODS: < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: First, we found a shorter time interval from onset of symptoms to death in India than that was reported in the USA and China. Second, young adults without comorbidities had shorter survival from the time of onset of symptoms irrespective of their timing of hospitalization. Third, hypothyroidism is a COVID-19 associated co-morbidity. Longitudinal studies are needed to further assess the thyroid-COVID-19 link. CONCLUSION: As COVID-19 infection rates are accelerating rapidly in India, it is crucial to sensitize young adults while protecting the elderly and other vulnerable populations.