NEW DELHI: A retrospective study conducted by researchers at a leading hospital here on a group of patients admitted at the facility during the first Covid wave has claimed that females were "relatively at higher risk of mortality" as compared to males having the same co-morbid conditions.
The study on 2,586 hospitalised COVID-19 patients has been published on June 25 in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Springer Nature journal, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said in a statement.
"A retrospective study was conducted by researchers of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on 2,586 COVID-19 hospitalised patients, who were admitted to the hospital from April 8 to October 4 in 2020 (first wave) to observe the association of diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease on the prognosis and mortality of COVID-19 infection in hospitalised patients," it said.
According to Dr Rashmi Rana, its author and consultant in the Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "Our study also found that females were relatively at higher risk of mortality as compared to males having same co-morbid conditions, except hypertensive patients".
According to Dr Vivek Ranjan, co-author and chairperson, department of blood transfusion at the hospital, "Study showed that risk of the severity of COVID-19 infection in younger patients with underlying comorbidities was found to be relatively at higher risk of severity of disease as well as to mortality compared to elderly patients with a similar underlying condition".
Of the 2,586 patients, 779 (30.1 per cent) needed ICU admission whereas 1,807 (69.9 per cent) were not admitted to the ICU.
Out of these hospitalised patients, mortality was reported for 317 (12.3 per cent) patients, the statement said.
Dr Atul Gogia, co-author and senior consultant, department of medicine, said, "In our study, patients with chronic kidney disease were found to be more prone to disease progression, complications and mortality followed by hypertension and diabetes".
According to Dr D S Rana, co-author and chairperson, department of renal Sciences, "On comparing the impact of multiple comorbidities with the severity of COVID-19 infection, it was found that presence of co-morbidity poses a greater risk of ICU admission.
"As the number of comorbidities increased, the risk of severity of COVID-19 infection also increases significantly," the doctor said.
In the present study, it was also found that the presence of co-morbidity poses a greater risk of ICU admission.
Patients with diabetes and hypertension were related to a longer recovery period.
As the number of comorbidities increased, the risk of severity of COVID-19 infection also increases significantly, the statement said.