57 - Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Orleans, LA: A Cohort Study

Background: In Louisiana, deaths related to COVID-19 have disproportionately occurred in Black persons. Granular data are needed to better understand inequities and develop prevention strategies to mitigate further impact on Black communities.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to an urban safety net hospital in New Orleans, LA with reactive SARS-CoV-2 testing from March 9-31, 2020. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of Black and other racial/ethnic group patients were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher’s exact tests. We examined Day-14 status using an ordinal scale to assess race and outcome.Table 1. Demographics and Comorbidities by Race for Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19
Table 2. Clinical Characteristics at Presentation by Race for Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19, March 2020


Results: This study included 249 patients. Median age was 59, 44% were male, 86% were age ≥65 years or had ≥1 comorbidity. Overall, 87% were Black, relative to 55% Black patients typically hospitalized at our center. Black patients had longer symptom duration at presentation (6.41 versus 5.88 days, p=0.05), and were more likely to have asthma (p=0.008), but less likely to have dementia (p=0.002). There were no racial differences in initial respiratory status or laboratory values other than higher initial LDH in Black patients. Patient age and initial oxygen requirement, but not race (adjusted proportional odds ratio = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.70-1.20), were associated with worse Day-14 outcomes.Figure 1: Admissions over time by Race
Figure 2a: Hospital outcomes by Race over the Follow-up period
Figure 2b: Day-14 Outcomes by Race


Conclusion: Our results demonstrate minor racial differences in comorbidities or disease severity at presentation, and Day-14 outcomes were not different between groups. However, Black patients were disproportionately represented in hospitalizations, suggesting that prevention efforts should include strategies to limit SARS-CoV-2 exposures in Black communities as one step towards reducing racial inequities related to COVID-19.Figure 3a: Logistic Regression for Initial Oxygen Requirement
Figure 3b: Cumulative Logistic Regression for Ordinal Day-14 Outcomes

Presenting Author(s)

• 

  Victoria A. Silver, DO

  Resident Physician
  LSU Internal Medicine/Emergency Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

  Slides Slides and Audio

Co-Author(s)

• AC

  Andrew Chapple, PhD

  Professor
  LSU School of Public Health
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• AF

  Allison H. Feibus, MS

  Medical Student
  LSU School of Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• JB

  Jeremy Beckford, BA

  Clinical Research Coordinator
  LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• NH

  Natalie Halapin, MD

  Resident Physician
  LSU Internal Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• DB

  Delphi Barua, MD

  Resident Physician
  LSU Internal Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• AG

  Angellica Gordon, MD

  Resident Physician
  LSU School of Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• WB

  William Baumgartner, MD

  Resident Physician
  LSU Internal Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• SV

  Seth Vignes, MD

  Resident Physician
  LSU Internal Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• CC

  Cullen Clark, MD

  Resident Physician
  LSU Internal Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• SK

  Sanjay Kamboj, MD

  Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
  LSU Internal Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• SL

  Stephen Lim, MD

  Assistant Professor
  LSU Emergency Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• SM

  Scott Mackey, DO

  Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine; Chief Medical Informatics Officer
  LSU Emergency Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• PS

  Paula Seal, MD, MPH

  Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
  Infectious Diseases Section, LSUHSC
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• JK

  Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine; Medical Director, Louisiana Dept. of Health, Region 1
  LSU Emergency Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
• MC

  Meredith E. Clement, MD

  Assistant Professor
  Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans
  New Orleans, Louisiana

  Disclosure: FHI360 (Consultant)Gilead (Research Grant or Support)Janssen (Scientific Research Study Investigator)