Characteristics of patients with COVID-19 readmitted to eight Metropolitan Atlanta Hospitals (March 2020–December 2020)*
| Total population, N=7155, n (%) | Non-readmitted, N=6692, n (%) | Readmitted | |||||||
| Readmitted, N=463, n (%) | White (non-Hispanic), N=96, n (%) | Black (non-Hispanic), N=289, n (%) | Hispanic, N=29, n (%) | Asian, N=13, n (%) | Unknown/other, N=36, n (%) | P value | |||
| Age group, years | |||||||||
| <45 | 1476 (20.6) | 1390 (20.8) | 86 (18.6) | 12 (12.5) | 60 (20.8) | 5 (17.2) | 2 (15.4) | 7 (19.4) | 0.35 |
| 45–64 | 2834 (39.6) | 2660 (39.7) | 174 (37.6) | 28 (29.2) | 110 (38.1) | 14 (48.3) | 4 (30.8) | 18 (50.0) | 0.19 |
| 65–79 | 2000 (28.0) | 1865 (27.9) | 135 (29.2) | 32 (33.3) | 81 (28.0) | 8 (27.6) | 6 (46.2) | 8 (22.2) | 0.26 |
| ≥80 | 845 (11.8) | 777 (11.6) | 68 (14.7) | 24 (25.0) | 38 (13.1) | 2 (6.9) | 1 (7.7) | 3 (8.3) | 0.04 |
| Sex | |||||||||
| Women | 3382 (47.3) | 3170 (47.4) | 212 (45.8) | 42 (43.8) | 141 (48.8) | 13 (44.8) | 7 (53.8) | 9 (25.0) | 0.06 |
| Men | 3772 (52.7) | 3521 (52.6) | 251 (54.2) | 54 (56.3) | 148 (51.2) | 16 (55.2) | 6 (46.2) | 27 (75.0) | 0.07 |
| Insurance status | |||||||||
| Private insurance (including Kaiser Permanente) | 3554 (49.7) | 3367 (50.3) | 187 (40.4) | 55 (57.3) | 111 (38.4) | 15 (51.7) | 1 (7.7) | 5 (13.9) | <0.001 |
| Medicare | 2280 (31.9) | 2103 (31.4) | 177 (38.2) | 37 (38.5) | 126 (43.6) | 4 (13.8) | 7 (53.8) | 3 (8.3) | <0.001 |
| Medicaid | 684 (9.6) | 627 (9.4) | 57 (12.3) | 3 (3.1) | 43 (14.9) | 7 (24.1) | 4 (30.8) | 0 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| VA | 403 (5.6) | 376 (5.6) | 27 (5.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 27 (75.0) | <0.001 |
| Uninsured | 234 (3.3) | 219 (3.3) | 15 (3.2) | 1 (1.0) | 9 (3.1) | 3 (10.3) | 1 (7.7) | 1 (2.8) | <0.001 |
| Comorbidities | |||||||||
| Obesity | 3445 (49.3) | 3253 (49.7) | 192 (42.8) | 38 (40.9) | 135 (48.2) | 7 (25.0) | 6 (46.2) | 6 (17.1) | 0.002 |
| Hypertension | 4588 (64.1) | 4244 (63.4) | 344 (74.3) | 65 (67.7) | 226 (78.2) | 18 (62.1) | 9 (69.2) | 26 (72.2) | 0.13 |
| Diabetes | 2738 (38.3) | 2533 (37.9) | 205 (44.3) | 27 (28.1) | 142 (49.1) | 12 (41.4) | 8 (61.5) | 16 (44.4) | 0.006 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 2461 (34.4) | 2276 (34.0) | 185 (40.0) | 35 (36.5) | 105 (36.3) | 13 (44.8) | 5 (38.5) | 27 (75.0) | <0.001 |
| Chronic lung disease | 861 (12.0) | 793 (11.8) | 68 (14.7) | 13 (13.5) | 39 (13.5) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (38.5) | 11 (30.6) | <0.001 |
| Chronic kidney disease | |||||||||
| Stages 3 and 4 | 992 (13.9) | 884 (13.2) | 108 (23.3) | 19 (19.8) | 74 (25.6) | 3 (10.3) | 3 (23.1) | 9 (25.0) | 0.37 |
| Stage 5 and ESRD | 450 (6.7) | 385 (6.1) | 65 (14.9) | 4 (4.2) | 56 (19.4) | 4 (13.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (11.1) | 0.003 |
| Chronic congestive heart failure | 1364 (19.1) | 1220 (18.2) | 144 (31.1) | 21 (21.9) | 100 (34.6) | 1 (3.4) | 3 (23.1) | 19 (52.8) | <0.001 |
| Other cardiovascular disease | 2096 (31.0) | 1910 (30.2) | 186 (42.7) | 33 (34.4) | 137 (47.4) | 9 (31.0) | 5 (38.5) | 2 (22.2) | 0.07 |
| Mental health condition* | 1362 (19.0) | 1258 (18.8) | 104 (22.5) | 27 (28.1) | 52 (18.0) | 5 (17.2) | 3 (23.1) | 17 (47.2) | <0.001 |
| Cancer | 509 (7.1) | 458 (6.8) | 51 (11.0) | 17 (17.7) | 24 (8.3) | 5 (17.2) | 1 (7.7) | 4 (11.1) | 0.09 |
| HIV | 141 (2.0) | 133 (2.0) | 8 (1.7) | 1 (1.0) | 7 (2.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0.65 |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index† | |||||||||
| 0 (low risk) | 1803 (31.4) | 1738 (32.4) | 65 (17.5) | 16 (17.8) | 34 (15.7) | 4 (20.0) | 2 (18.2) | 9 (26.5) | <0.01 |
| 1–3 (medium risk) | 3343 (58.2) | 3104 (57.8) | 239 (64.4) | 65 (72.2) | 136 (63.0) | 15 (75.0) | 6 (54.5) | 17 (50.0) | <0.01 |
| ≥4 (high risk) | 597 (10.4) | 530 (9.9) | 67 (18.1) | 9 (10.0) | 46 (21.3) | 1 (5.0) | 3 (27.3) | 8 (23.5) | <0.01 |
| Index admission treatment | |||||||||
| Remdesivir | 1832 (32.4) | 1729 (33.3) | 103 (22.2) | 31 (32.3) | 50 (17.3) | 4 (13.8) | 7 (53.8) | 11 (30.6) | <0.001 |
| Dexamethasone | 2943 (52.1) | 2710 (52.2) | 233 (50.3) | 61 (63.5) | 133 (46.0) | 14 (48.3) | 8 (61.5) | 17 (47.2) | 0.04 |
| Remdesivir and dexamethasone | 1559 (24.6) | 1485 (23.5) | 88 (20.2) | 29 (30.2) | 45 (15.6) | 4 (13.8) | 7 (53.8) | 3 (33.3) | <0.001 |
| Required intensive care unit | 1763 (24.6) | 1485 (23.5) | 91 (19.7) | 12 (12.5) | 63 (21.8) | 8 (27.6) | 3 (23.1) | 5 (13.9) | 0.20 |
| Required mechanical ventilation | 803 (14.2) | 768 (14.8) | 35 (7.6) | 5 (5.2) | 25 (8.7) | 4 (13.8) | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0.21 |
| Index admission length of stay‡ | |||||||||
| ≤7 days | 4438 (65.7) | 4158 (65.8) | 280 (64.2) | 70 (72.9) | 172 (59.5) | 23 (79.3) | 8 (61.5) | 7 (77.8) | <0.01 |
| 8–14 days | 1174 (17.4) | 1089 (17.2) | 85 (19.5) | 14 (14.6) | 63 (21.8) | 3 (10.3) | 3 (23.1) | 2 (22.2) | 0.038 |
| >14 days | 1140 (16.9) | 1069 (16.9) | 71 (16.3) | 12 (12.5) | 54 (18.7) | 3 (10.3) | 2 (15.4) | 0 (0.0) | — |
| Index admission disposition | |||||||||
| Home (self-care) | 4041 (59.8) | 3787 (60.0) | 254 (58.3) | 53 (55.2) | 167 (57.8) | 24 (82.8) | 5 (38.5) | 5 (55.6) | <0.001 |
| Home (with home health services) | 753 (11.2) | 664 (10.5) | 89 (20.4) | 27 (28.1) | 51 (17.6) | 3 (10.3) | 5 (38.5) | 3 (33.3) | 0.013 |
| Long-term acute care hospital | 94 (1.4) | 90 (1.4) | 4 (0.9) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | — |
| Skilled nursing facility | 639 (9.5) | 577 (9.1) | 62 (14.2) | 13 (13.5) | 47 (16.3) | 1 (3.4) | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | — |
| Hospice (home or inpatient) | 205 (3.0) | 199 (3.2) | 6 (1.4) | 1 (1.0) | 4 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | — |
| Transferred to another hospital | 286 (4.2) | 277 (4.4) | 9 (2.1) | 1 (1.0) | 6 (2.1) | 1 (3.4) | 1 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | — |
| Other§ | 189 (2.8） | 177 (2.8) | 12 (2.8) | 1 (1.0) | 10 (3.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (11.1) | — |
P value for readmitted population only.
*Mental health conditions include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
†Charlson Comorbidity Index was not available for the academic safety-net hospital.
‡Length of stay (of index admission) was not available for VA Hospital data.
§Other was the combination of other rehab, left against medical advice or discontinued care and other discharge dispositions not included above.
¶Data from all eight hospitals, including six academic health system hospitals, one academic safety-net hospital, and one VA Hospital.
ESRD, end-stage renal disease; VA, Veterans Administration.