Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death in People with Epilepsy: A Nationwide Population-based Cohort Study
Abstract number :
2.378
Submission category :
16. Epidemiology
Year :
2022
Submission ID :
2204956
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/4/2022 12:00:00 PM
Published date :
Nov 22, 2022, 05:27 AM
Authors :
Emilija Cvetkovska, MD, PhD – Clinic for Neurology, University "St Cyril and Methodius"; Haris Babacic, MD, PhD candidate – Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Bojan Boskovski, MD, PhD – Clinic for Neurology, Skopje, North Macedonia; Marija Babunovska, MD, PhD candidate – Clinic for Neurology, Skopje, North Macedonia; Igor Kuzmanovski, MD, PhD – Clinic for Neurology, Skopje, North Macedonia; Gordana Kiteva Trencevska, MD, PhD – Clinic for Neurology, Skopje, North Macedonia
Rationale: We conducted a nationwide cohort study to evaluate the risk of infection, hospitalization, and mortality due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in persons with and without epilepsy in North Macedonia between March 2020 and January 31, 2022. _x000D_
Methods: Data were obtained from the Electronic National Healthcare System (eNHS). We identified all persons with epilepsy by ICD-10 codes G40.0-9 and evidence for prescription of antiseizure medications (ASM). _x000D_
_x000D_
Each PWE was matched with population controls (ratio 1:10), based on sex, age, residential district, and comorbidities. We extracted data from the eNHS on COVID-19 outcomes: infection (defined as a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result), hospital admission due to COVID-19, and death during or after COVID-19 hospitalization until January 31, 2022. _x000D_
_x000D_
The study included 12,220 PWE and 122,200 matched controls. The risk of COVID-19 outcomes in PWE was estimated with Poisson regression and relative risk ratios (RR) of cumulative incidence, including 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
Results: The risk of getting a SARS-CoV-2 infection was not different in PWE compared to controls, RR = 1.042 [95% CI: 0.995-1.091]. The risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19 was higher in PWE, RR = 1.289 [95% CI: 1.137-1.460], as well as the risk of dying due to COVID-19, RR = 1.547 [95% CI: 1.262-1.897]. The estimates of a higher risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 remained significant (RR = 1.269 and RR =1.530 for hospitalization and death, respectively) after adjustment for the week of the pandemic and the infection rate in Poisson regression models._x000D_
Conclusions: PWE have an increased risk of hospitalization and death from SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic compared to matched controls without epilepsy. PWE should be considered a vulnerable group in mitigation strategies for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. _x000D_
Funding: None
Epidemiology