Study: Effects of COVID-19 last long after discharge from hospital

Many people hospitalized with COVID-19 continue to have health issues long after they are discharged, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine titled “Sixty‑Day Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.”

The study used data from the Mi-COVID19 Initiative, a Michigan statewide collaboration of 38 hospitals, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network. It looked at COVID-19 patients discharged between March 16, 2020, and July 1, 2020, from hospitals participating in the Mi-COVID19 Initiative.

The study found:

Of 1,648 patients with COVID-19 admitted to 38 hospitals, 398 (24.2%) died during hospitalization and 1,250 (75.8%) survived.
Of 1,250 patients discharged, 975 (78.0%) went home and 158 (12.6%) were sent to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility.
By 60 days after discharge, an additional 84 patients had died, bringing the overall mortality rate to 29.2%.
Within 60 days of discharge, 189 patients (15.1% of hospital survivors) were hospitalized again.

Long-term effects

The study showed that patients who survived had difficulty returning to normal activities, physical and emotional symptoms, and financial loss.

Of patients alive 60 days after discharge, 488 (41.8%) completed the 60-day post-discharge telephone survey. The survey results showed:

Nearly 23% said they became short of breath just climbing a flight of stairs.
159 had cardiopulmonary symptoms such as cough and dyspnea (labored breathing), and among those:
- 92 had new or worsening symptoms
65 still suffered the loss of taste or smell
58 had new or worsening difficulty completing daily activities

Of the 195 patients who were employed before hospitalization:

117 had returned to work, among those:
- 30 reported reduced hours or modified duties due to health reasons
78 couldn’t return to work because of ongoing health issues or job loss

Nearly half of all patients — 238 of 488 — reported being emotionally affected by their health. Among those:

28 sought care for mental health after discharge

At least a mild financial impact from their hospitalization was reported by 179 patients. Of those:

47 reported use of most or all of their savings
35 reported rationing food, heat, housing or medications due to cost

Commenting on the study, Tom Leyden, director of Value Partnerships, said: “The findings provide an important longitudinal overview of the pandemic’s impact on Michigan’s COVID patients from a medical, financial, and functional perspective. We’re very proud of the ability of our COVID-19 registry to capture such important data, which has been featured in national media, including CNN and NPR.”

For more information on the MiCOVID19 Initiative, see the article, “Blue Cross continues to support hospitals and health care professionals in fighting COVID-19,” also in this issue.

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