Introduction: The situation regarding COVID‑19 in Poland is rapidly evolving. Because of this, it is important to investigate COVID‑19 mortality and its predictors in one of the most densely populated regions of the country, Silesia Province.
Objectives: The goals of this study were to assess in‑hospital mortality due to COVID‑19 and the impact of sex, age, and coexisting diseases on the risk of death.
Patients and methods: The data analysis was based on discharge reports of patients with COVID‑19 hospitalized between March and June 2020 in all hospitals in the region. Age, sex, hospital discharge status, and the presence of coexisting diseases were abstracted from the charts.
Results: In a group of 2830 in‑patients with COVID‑19, 325 died during hospitalization. COVID‑19 deaths were associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.17-1.96), older age (OR, 6.11; 95% CI, 4.5-8.31), and the presence of 3 or more coexisting diseases (OR, 4.78; 95% CI, 3.52-6.49). The most prevalent comorbidities were chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Conclusions: The estimated in‑hospital fatality rate for COVID‑19 was 11.5%, which is lower than the average COVID‑19 fatality rate in other European countries. The risk of in‑hospital death was associated with sex, age, and the number of coexisting diseases, such as chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.