66.6% of COVID-19 deceased are male, with a median age of 69.9 years

Objectives:
What are the risk factors for the COVID-19-related death?

Study design:
This review article included 15 articles with 2,401 COVID-19 patients.

Results and conclusions:   
The investigators found meta-analysis showed that 66.6% of COVID-19 deceased were male, with a median age of 69.9 years.

The investigators found common symptoms of deceased included fever [70.6 to 100%], dyspnea [38.89 to 85.7%], cough [22.4 to 78% and fatigue [22 to 61.9%].

The investigators found the prevalence rate of underlying diseases among COVID-19 dead patients was 72.21% [95% CI = 62.85 to 79.96%].

The investigators found the incidence of hypertension, chronic cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic cerebrovascular disease among the COVID-19 deceased were 38.56% [95% CI = 25.84 to 52.12%], 17.54% [95% CI = 13.38 to 21.69%], 22.2% [95% CI = 19.30 to 25.10%] and 15.58% [95% CI = 10.05 to 21.12%], respectively.

The investigators found compared with the surviving COVID-19 patients, the deceased had lower platelet levels [MD = - 39.35, 95% CI = -55.78 to -22.93] and higher C-reactive protein (CRP) [MD = 80.85, 95% CI = 62.53 to 99.18] and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) [MD = 246.65, 95% CI = 157.43 to 335.88] at admission.

The investigators found the most common complications of the deceased were acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [OR = 100.36, 95% CI = 64.44 to 156.32] and shock [OR = 96.60, 95% CI = 23.80 to 392.14].

The investigators concluded most of the COVID-19 deceased are elderly males (with a median age of 69.9 years). Typical symptoms (fever, dyspnea, dry cough and fatigue), chronic underlying diseases (hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease), associated laboratory abnormalities (low platelet count, increased CRP and LDH) and complications (ARDS and shock) are risk factors for death in COVID-19 patients.

Original title:
Clinical characteristics, laboratory outcome characteristics, comorbidities, and complications of related COVID-19 deceased: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Qiu P, Zhou Y, [...], Liu J.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7391922/

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