Nera Agabiti (Italy)
Regional Health Service Department of EpidemiologyAuthor Of 1 Presentation
RISK OF SARS-COV 2 INFECTION AND DEATH FOR COVID-19 IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA IN THE LAZIO REGION, ITALY
- Silvia Cascini (Italy)
Abstract
Background and Aims:
Patients with dementia may be vulnerable to SARS-CoV 2 infection. Dementia is considered a relevant risk of adverse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality in a cohort of patients with dementia living in the Lazio Region and to identify predicting factors for infection and death.
Methods:
We conducted a population-based study using health care administrative databases. We enrolled dementia patients, 65 aged or over, residing in the Lazio Region. Each patient was followed between January, 2020 and February, 2021 to ascertain SARS-CoV-2 infection and up to December 2020 to assess mortality. Univariate and multivariable binomial regression models were used to estimate risk of infection and death. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to test a large number of factors as possible determinants of two outcome.
Results:
Among 37,729 dementia patients (mean age 82 years), 7% were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the follow up, and among these 31% died. Women, patients with cerebrovascular diseases, pneumonia, blood’s diseases, femur fracture, anxiety, and those using antipsychotic or antithrombotic agents had higher infection probability. Males, the oldest patients, not resident in Rome, with symptoms at SARS-COV-2 diagnosis, those using antipsychotic, antithrombotic or antibacterial agents had higher odds of death.
Conclusions:
Our findings revealed that there are disease-specific differences in infection susceptibility among dementia patients and highlight the need to protect these group of patients as part of the strategy to control the COVID-19 effects.