Clinical Characteristics and Morbidity Associated With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a Series of Patients in Metropolitan Detroit

Question What are the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 evaluated at Henry Ford Health System in Southeast Michigan during the early phase of the outbreak? Findings In this case series involving 463 consecutive patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 evaluated at a 5-hospital system serving metropolitan Detroit, 72.1% of patients were African American and 94.0% had at least 1 comorbidity. Among the 355 patients who were hospitalized, 39.7% required intensive care unit admission, of whom 80.8% underwent invasive mechanical ventilation and 40.4% died within 30 days. Meaning In this series of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in metropolitan Detroit, a high proportion were admitted and required intensive care unit admission and invasive mechanical ventilation with a mortality rate of 40.4% among patients in the intensive care unit. This case series describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at a health system in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and provides a comparative analysis of hospitalized and ambulatory patient populations. Importance In late December 2019, an outbreak caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 emerged in Wuhan, China. Data on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of infected patients in urban communities in the US are limited. Objectives To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to perform a comparative analysis of hospitalized and ambulatory patient populations. Design, Setting, and Participants This study is a case series of 463 consecutive patients with COVID-19 evaluated at Henry Ford Health System in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, from March 9 to March 27, 2020. Data analysis was performed from March to April 2020. Exposure Laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Main Outcomes and Measures Demographic data, underlying comorbidities, clinical presentation, complications, treatment, and outcomes were collected. Results Of 463 patients with COVID-19 (mean [SD] age, 57.5 [16.8] years), 259 (55.9%) were female, and 334 (72.1%) were African American. Most patients (435 [94.0%]) had at least 1 comorbidity, including hypertension (295 patients [63.7%]), chronic kidney disease (182 patients [39.3%]), and diabetes (178 patients [38.4%]). Common symptoms at presentation were cough (347 patients [74.9%]), fever (315 patients [68.0%]), and dyspnea (282 patients [60.9%]). Three hundred fifty-five patients (76.7%) were hospitalized; 141 (39.7%) required intensive care unit management and 114 (80.8%) of those patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-3.2; P = .001), severe obesity (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-3.6; P = .02), and chronic kidney disease (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-3.3; P = .006) were independently associated with intensive care unit admission. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit had longer length of stay and higher incidence of respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis, shock, and mortality (57 patients [40.4%] vs 15 patients [7.0%]) compared with patients in the general practice unit. Twenty-nine (11.2%) of those discharged from the hospital were readmitted and, overall, 20.0% died within 30 days. Male sex (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.1; P = .03) and age older than 60 years (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 2.9-9.7; P < .001) were significantly associated with mortality, whereas African American race was not (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.54-1.8; P = .86). Conclusions and Relevance In this review of urban metropolitan patients with COVID-19, most were African American with a high prevalence of comorbid conditions and high rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, complications, and mortality due to COVID-19.