Characteristics and mortality of 561,379 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Germany until December 2021 based on real-life data

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 11116
• Main Authors: Kloka, Jan Andreas, Blum, Lea Valeska, Old, Oliver, Zacharowski, Kai, Friedrichson, Benjamin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-07-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/308/174; Arrhythmia; Congestive heart failure; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Hospitalization; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mortality; multidisciplinary; Obesity; Pandemics; Patients; Renal failure; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Germany
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15287-3

The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is characterized by poor outcome and a high mortality especially in the older patient cohort. Up to this point there is a lack of data characterising COVID-19 patients in Germany admitted to intensive care (ICU) vs. non-ICU patients. German Reimbursement inpatient data covering the period in Germany from January 1st, 2020 to December 31th, 2021 were analyzed. 561,379 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19. 24.54% (n = 137,750) were admitted to ICU. Overall hospital mortality was 16.69% (n = 93,668) and 33.36% (n = 45,947) in the ICU group. 28.66% (n = 160,881) of all patients suffer from Cardiac arrhythmia and 17.98% (n = 100,926) developed renal failure. Obesity showed an odds-ratio ranging from 0.83 (0.79–0.87) for WHO grade I to 1.13 (1.08–1.19) for grade III. Mortality-rates peaked in April 2020 and January 2021 being 21.23% (n = 4539) and 22.99% (n = 15,724). A third peak was observed November and December 2021 (16.82%, n = 7173 and 16.54%, n = 9416). Hospitalized COVID-19 patient mortality in Germany is lower than previously shown in other studies. 24.54% of all patients had to be treated in the ICU with a mortality rate of 33.36%. Congestive heart failure was associated with a higher risk of death whereas low grade obesity might have a protective effect on patient survival. High admission numbers are accompanied by a higher mortality rate.