Outcomes of COVID-19: Disparities by ethnicity

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 87; p. 104639
• Main Authors: Ali, Hamad, Alshukry, Abdullah, Marafie, Sulaiman K., AlRukhayes, Monera, Ali, Yaseen, Abbas, Mohammad Bu, Al-Taweel, Abdullah, Bukhamseen, Yousef, Dashti, Mohammad H., Al-Shammari, Abdullah A., Abu-Farha, Mohammad, AbuBakr, Jehad, Al-Mulla, Fahd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-01-2021
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - ethnology; COVID-19 - virology; Ethnic Groups; Female; Humans; Kuwait - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Severity of Illness Index; Short Communication; Kuwait
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104639

To investigate the role of ethnicity in COVID-19 outcome disparities in a cohort in Kuwait.
This is a retrospective analysis of 405 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Kuwait. Outcomes such as symptoms severity and mortality were considered. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to report the odds ratios (OR) for ICU admission and dying from COVID-19.
The cohort included 290 Arabs and 115 South Asians. South Asians recorded significantly higher COVID-19 death rates compared to Arabs (33% vs. 7.6%, P value<0.001). When compared to Arabs, South Asians also had higher odds of being admitted to the ICU (OR = 6.28, 95% CI: 3.34–11.80, p < 0.001). South Asian patients showed 7.62 (95% CI: 3.62–16.02, p < 0.001) times the odds of dying from COVID-19.
COVID-19 patients with South Asians ethnicity in Kuwait are more likely to have worse prognosis and outcome when compared to patients with Arab ethnicity. This suggest a possible role for ethnicity in COVID-19 outcome disparities and this role is likely to be multifactorial.
•Kuwait is a multiethnic country with a population of 4.3 million made mostly by Arabs and South Asians.•South Asians were more likely to develop a severe form of the disease which also corresponded to a higher death rate compared to Arabs in Kuwait.•Results highlighted probable impact of ethnicity on COVID-19 outcome.