Outcomes of nursing home COVID-19 patients by initial symptoms and comorbidity: Results of universal testing of 1,970 residents

Tang, Olive; Bigelow, Benjamin F.; Sheikh, Fatima; Peters, Matthew; Zenilman, Jonathan M.; Bennett, Richard; Katz, Morgan J.

Objective Clinical implications of asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes remain poorly understood. We assessed the association of symptom status and medical comorbidities on mortality and hospitalization risk associated with COVID-19 in residents of a large nursing home system. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting and Participants 1,970 residents from 15 nursing home facilities with universal COVID-19 testing in Maryland. Methods We used descriptive statistics to compare baseline characteristics, logistic regression to assess the association of comorbidities with COVID-19, and Cox regression to assess the association of asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 with mortality and hospitalization. We assessed the association of comorbidities with mortality and hospitalization risk. Symptom status was assessed at the time of the first test. Maximum follow-up was 94 days. Results Among the 1,970 residents (mean age 73.8, 57% female, 68% Black), 752 (38.2%) were positive on their first test. Residents who were positive for COVID-19 and had multiple symptoms at the time of testing had the highest risk of mortality (HR 4.44; 95% CI: 2.97, 6.65) and hospitalization (SHR 2.38; 95% CI: 1.70, 3.33), even after accounting for comorbidity burden. Cases who were asymptomatic at testing had a higher risk of mortality (HR 2.92; 95% CI: 1.95, 4.35), but not hospitalization (HR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.38) compared to those who were negative for COVID-19. Of 52 SARS-CoV-2 positive residents who were asymptomatic at the time of testing and were closely monitored for 14 days at one facility, only 6 (11.6%) developed symptoms. Conclusions and Implications Asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the nursing home setting was associated with increased risk of death suggesting a need for closer monitoring of these residents, particularly those with underlying cardiovascular and respiratory comorbidities.