Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients who died from COVID-19 in Colombia

Características clínicas y sociodemográficas de pacientes fallecidos por COVID-19 en Colombia

Introduction: the first case of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed in Colombia on March 6 2020, and spread through the country with diverse clinical presentations. It is critical to identify the characteristics of individuals with fatal outcomes. Objectives: to describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients who died from COVID-19 in Colombia up to May 15 2020. Material and Methods: a cross-sectional study. Data on patients who died from COVID-19 in Colombia recorded and reported by the National Health Institute from March 6 to May 15 2020 were used. Results: a total of 546 deaths were reported as of May 15 2020, of which 60.8% were males. The median age was 69 years (IQR: 59-79), 73.3% were patients aged 60 years or older and 86.8% had underlying risk factors, the most common being hypertension (37.9%), diabetes mellitus (18.7%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17.3%) and a past history of heart disease (15.2%), 3.3% were cases that had arrived from abroad. Nationally, the most affected areas were Bogotá (29.8%), Cali (12.2%), Cartagena (11.1%) and Leticia (6.2%). Conclusions:  the COVID-19 mortality rate in Colombia is 3.8%. Most patients had an associated clinical condition being hypertension the most frequent one, but chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypothyroidism are relevant in our population.

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