The clinical characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 patients with comorbidities: a retrospective analysis of the infection peak in Wuhan

BACKGROUND: This study aims to determine the clinical characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 patients with comorbidities and to identify survival factors. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in Wuhan, China, between February 8, 2020, and March 9, 2020. Based on underlying diseases, patients were assigned to either the comorbidity group or the non-comorbidity group. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 were analyzed and a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the prognosis predictive value of each comorbidity. RESULTS: During the study period, 278 COVID-19 patients were enrolled, 175 (62.95%) were assigned to the comorbidity group, and 103 (37.05%) to the non-comorbidity group. Of the patients in the comorbidity group, 34.86% were classified as critical. Further, patients in the comorbidity group had lower lymphocyte cell counts, and higher concentrations of D-dimer, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and serum ferritin as well as higher critical illness severity scores than patients in the non-comorbidity group (P<0.05). Patients in the comorbidity group also had higher mortality, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and ventilation treatment rates than patients in the non-comorbidity group (P<0.05). The length of hospital stay was longer in the comorbidity group than in the non-comorbidity group (P<0.05). The most common underlying diseases included hypertension (40.65%), diabetes mellitus (20.5%), and cardiovascular disease (19.42%). Patients with comorbidities were more likely to develop cardiovascular sequelae associated with COVID-19, shock, acute kidney injury, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (30.86% vs. 12.62%, P=0.001; 18.86% vs. 8.74%, P=0.023; 24.57% vs. 11.65%, P=0.009; 33.71% vs. 14.56%, P=0.000, respectively). In the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, older patients (¡Ý65 years) (log-rank test: χ(2)=4.202, P=0.040) and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (log-rank test: χ(2)=4.839, P=0.028) or diabetes mellitus (log-rank test: χ(2)=4.377, P=0.036) had shorter survival than those without comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with comorbidities were more severely affected and had a higher mortality rate. Age, COPD and diabetes mellitus were the main factors affecting the survival of patients.