Scholarly Article - an original investigation (22 April 2020) - Presenting Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Outcomes Among 5700 Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in the New York City Area

Title:
Presenting Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Outcomes Among 5700 Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in the New York City Area

Authors:
Safiya Richardson, Jamie S. Hirsch, Mangala Narasimhan, James M. Crawford, Thomas McGinn, Karina W. Davidson & the Northwell COVID-19 Research Consortium

Published:
JAMA, published online 22 April 2020 [An original investigation]
Click here to access.

From the abstract:
Importance ... There is limited information describing the presenting characteristics and outcomes of US patients requiring hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective ... To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in a US health care system.

Design, Setting, and Participants ... Case series of patients with COVID-19 admitted to 12 hospitals in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, New York, within the Northwell Health system. The study included all sequentially hospitalized patients between March 1, 2020, and April 4, 2020, inclusive of these dates.

New York Times, 17 April 2020 (updated 18 April 2020) - Why We Don’t Know the True Death Rate for Covid-19

Title:
Why We Don’t Know the True Death Rate for Covid-19

Author:
Amy Harmon

Published:
New York Times, 17 April 2020 (updated 18 April 2020)

From the article:
"Determining what percentage of those infected by the coronavirus will die is a key question for epidemiologists, but an elusive one during the pandemic."

To read this article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/coronavirus-death-rate.html

Research Letter (JAMA, 29 April 2020) - Variation in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs

Title:
Variation in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs

Authors:
Rishi K. Wadhera, Priya Wadhera, Prakriti Gaba, Jose F. Figueroa, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Robert W. Yeh & Changyu Shen

Published:
JAMA, published online 29 April 2020
Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/jama_wadhera_2020_ld_200038.pdf

Focus of research letter:
"In the US, New York City has emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.1 As of April 25, 2020, more than 150 000 cases had been reported, which is approximately 17% of total cases in the US.2,3 New York City is composed of 5 boroughs (the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island), each with unique demographic, socioeconomic, and community characteristics.  

Prior analyses have shown health inequities across these boroughs, but whether similar patterns have also emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown.4 Understanding the patterns could inform public health and policy strategies to mitigate the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and future approaches to address a possible resurgence of the disease. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine population characteristics and hospital bed capacities across the 5 boroughs and evaluate whether differences in the rates of COVID-19 testing, hospitalizations, and deaths have emerged in these communities."

Short Article - As many as half of Europe's COVID-19 deaths were people in long-term care facilities

Title:
As many as half of Europe's COVID-19 deaths were people in long-term care facilities

Author:
Haven Orecchlo-Egresitz

Published:
Business Insider, 26 April 2020

From the article:
"Up to 50% of the COVID-19 deaths in Europe are associated with long-term care facilities, according to the World Health Organization."

To read this article:
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/half-europes-covid-19-deaths-in-long-term-care-facilities-2020-4