Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients Treated in the Emergency Department of a New York City Hospital

Demographic and socioeconomic factors can contribute to community spread of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to describe the demographics and socioeconomic factors in relation to geolocation of COVID-19 patients who were discharged from the emergency department (ED) back into the community. This retrospective study was conducted over a 7-week period, at an urban, adult, level 1 trauma center in New York City. Demographics, socioeconomic factors, and geolocation of COVID-19 patients discharged from the ED were extracted from the electronic medical records. Patients were stratified by gender for data analysis. A total of 634 patients were included in the study, 376 (59.3%) were male and 205 (32.3%) were Hispanic White. The median age of patients was 50 years (IQR: 38, 60, Min:15, Max:96). The unemployment rate in our population was 41.2% and 75.5% reported contracting the virus via community spread. ED mortality rate was 11.8%; the majority of which were male (N = 50, 66.7%) and the median age was 70 years (IQR: 59, 82). There were 9.4% (95% CI 2.9–12.4) more Black males and 5.4% (95% CI 0.4–10.4) more males who had no insurance coverage compared to females. 26.8% (95% CI 14.5–39) more females worked in the healthcare field and 7.1% (95% CI 0.3–13.9) more were infected via primary contact compared to males. COVID-19 disproportionately affected minorities and males. Socioeconomic factors should be taken into consideration when preparing strategies for preventing the spread of the virus, especially for individuals who are expected to self-isolate.