Severity of COVID-19 and adverse long-term outcomes: a retrospective cohort study based on a US electronic health record database

Objective To identify potential risk factors for adverse long-term outcomes (LTOs) associated with COVID-19, using a large electronic health record (EHR) database. Design Retrospective cohort study. Patients with COVID-19 were assigned into subcohorts according to most intensive treatment setting experienced. Newly diagnosed conditions were classified as respiratory, cardiovascular or mental health LTOs at >30-<= 90 or >90-<= 180 days after COVID-19 diagnosis or hospital discharge. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify any association of treatment setting (as a proxy for disease severity) with LTO incidence. Setting Optum deidentified COVID-19 EHR dataset drawn from hospitals and clinics across the USA. Participants Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 (N=57 748) from 20 February to 4 July 2020. Main outcomes Incidence of new clinical conditions after COVID-19 diagnosis or hospital discharge and the association of treatment setting (as a proxy for disease severity) with their risk of occurrence. Results Patients were assigned into one of six subcohorts: outpatient (n=22 788), emergency room (ER) with same-day COVID-19 diagnosis (n=11 633), ER with COVID-19 diagnosis <= 21 days before ER visit (n=2877), hospitalisation without intensive care unit (ICU; n=16 653), ICU without ventilation (n=1837) and ICU with ventilation (n=1960). Respiratory LTOs were more common than cardiovascular or mental health LTOs across subcohorts and LTO incidence was higher in hospitalised versus non-hospitalised subcohorts. Patients with the most severe disease were at increased risk of respiratory (risk ratio (RR) 1.86, 95% CI 1.56 to 2.21), cardiovascular (RR 2.65, 95% CI 1.49 to 4.43) and mental health outcomes (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.91) up to 6 months after hospital discharge compared with outpatients. Conclusions Patients with severe COVID-19 had increased risk of new clinical conditions up to 6 months after hospital discharge. The extent that treatment setting (eg, ICU) contributed to these conditions is unknown, but strategies to prevent COVID-19 progression may nonetheless minimise their occurrence.

Automated summary

This retrospective cohort study used a large electronic health record database to identify potential risk factors for adverse long-term outcomes associated with COVID-19. Patients with severe COVID-19 were found to have an increased risk of new clinical conditions up to 6 months after hospital discharge. The study suggests that strategies to prevent COVID-19 progression may help minimize the occurrence of these conditions.