Mortality rate and predictors of COVID-19 inpatients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an extremely rare virus that devastates the economy and claims human lives. Despite countries' urgent and tenacious public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the disease is killing a large number of people. The results of prior studies have not been used by policymakers and programmers due to the presence of conflicting results. As a result, this study was conducted to fill the knowledge gap and develop a research agenda. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the mortality rate and predictors of COVID-19 hospitalized patients in Ethiopia. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched to find articles that were conducted using a retrospective cohort study design and published in English up to 2022. The data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and exported to Stata(TM) version 17.0 for further analysis. The presence of heterogeneity was assessed and presented using a forest plot. The subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and publication bias were computed to identify the source of heterogeneity. The pool COVID-19 mortality rate and its predictors were calculated and identified using the random effects meta-analysis model, respectively. The significant predictors identified were reported using a relative risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Seven studies with 31,498 participants were included. The pooled mortality rate of COVID-19 was 9.13 (95% CI: 5.38, 12.88) per 1,000 person-days of mortality-free observation. Those study participants who had chronic kidney disease had 2.29 (95% CI: 1.14, 4.60) times higher chance of experiencing mortality than their corresponding counterparts, diabetics had 2.14 (95% CI: 1.22, 3.76), HIV patients had 2.98 (95% CI: 1.26, 7.03), hypertensive patients had 1.63 (95% CI: 1.43, 1.85), and smoker had 2.35 (95% CI: 1.48, 3.73). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 mortality rate was high to tackle the epidemic of the disease in Ethiopia. COVID-19 patients with chronic renal disease, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and HIV were the significant predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia. COVID-19 patients with chronic diseases and comorbidities need special attention, close follow-up, and care from all stakeholders.