COVID-19 lethality in hospitalized adults during the first two pandemic waves: An experience of the private sector in Peru

Abstract

Introduction: The fatality rate from COVID-19 in Peru was 9.1% in 2020-2021, the highest in the world. Objectives: to describe the fatality rate due to COVID-19 in adults hospitalized in a private clinic in Lima, Peru during the first two pandemic waves and to evaluate its associated factors. Materials and methods: Analytical cross-sectional study in April-September 2020 (first wave) and January-May 2021 (second wave), in patients over 18 years of age treated for COVID-19 in a private clinic in Peru, obtained by simple random sampling. Statistical tests were applied considering p<0,05, using IBM SPSS 27.0. Results: The sample was 263 and 235 patients in the first and second wave, the median age was 51 and 49 years in each period and in both moments the male sex predominated with 72.9% and 63.2%. The fatality rate was 7.7% and 6% in each pandemic wave. Between both waves, a difference was found regarding sex and respiratory rate. The factors associated with fatality in both waves were age, SatO/FiO and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Conclusions: The fatality rate due to COVID-19 in adult patients hospitalized in a private clinic during the first two pandemic waves was low and the associated factors were age, SatO/FiO and LDH.