Objective: Schizophrenia has been associated with patients' poor quality of life, disability, and hospitalization. As of today, evidence that highlights the association between schizophrenia and coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outcomes remains unclear. This study sought to analyze whether patients with pre-existing schizophrenia are at higher risk for Covid-19 mortality.
Methods: Using specific keywords, we comprehensively searched PubMed, Scopus, OVID, and Cochrane Library sources until November 15th, 2021. All published studies on schizophrenia and Covid-19 were collected. We used Review Manager 5.4 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software to conduct statistical analysis.
Results: There were 10 studies with 263,207 Covid-19 patients included in the analysis. Evaluation of the data gathered yielded an association between schizophrenia and increased mortality from Covid-19 (RR 2.22; 95%CI: 1.54-3.20, p < 0.00001, I2 = 82% random-effect model). The increased risk of developing mortality from Covid-19 in patients with schizophrenia was significantly influenced by older age (p = 0.0004) and smoking (p = 0.0048).
Conclusions: This study proposes that patients with pre-existing schizophrenia are at risk of developing higher Covid-19 mortality. Patients with schizophrenia need special attention and should be prioritized to receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
Registration details: CRD42021293997.
Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019; Covid-19; Psychiatry; Psychosis; Schizophrenia.
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