Mortality Risk Factors for Coronavirus Infection in Hospitalized Adults in Brazil: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented high morbidity and mortality, with associated high socioeconomic costs. Brazil ranks third in the number of COVID-19 cases, behind only India and the United States.

Objective: To analyze risk factors for mortality in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in Brazil.

Methods: Observational retrospective cohort study including data from all Brazilian states and regions. The study included information from 468,226 in-hospital patients from all regions of Brazil from 1 January 2021 to 31 July 2021. Data from the influenza epidemiological surveillance system were used. The participants were adults hospitalized with COVID-19. A Cox regression model was used to analyze factors associated with mortality in adults with COVID-19.

Results: The in-hospital mortality lethality was 37.5%. The risk factors associated with COVID-19 mortality were older age, with a linear increase with increments in age, male sex, black or mixed race, low education level, comorbidities, use of ventilatory support, and living in the southeast, north, or northeast regions of the country.

Conclusions: Our results illustrate the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and reinforce that policies and practices to deal with this disease should focus on groups and regions with higher risk, whereas public policies should promote nonpharmacological measures and vaccination in the Brazilian population.