Valuable new @BMJ study: "Features of 20 ,133 UK patients in hospital with covid-19 using the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium @WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol" https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1985 1/x

Prospective observational cohort study w/ rapid data gathering, near real time analysis. 208 acute care hosps in England, Wales, Scotland btwn 6 Feb - 19 Apr. Minimal follow-up time of 2 wks, most patients completed hosp admission. 2/x

An amazing 2468 research nurses, administrators, and med students enrolled the 20 ,133 patients. Shows you the kind of workforce required in studies of this size, breadth, and speed.3/x

The pts included in the study were approx 34% of the 59,215 covid-19 admissions in these countries. Median time from onset of COVID symptoms in community to presentation at hospital was 4 days 4/x

Median age of pts was 73 years (interquartile range 58-82, range 0-104). 310 pts (1.5%) were < 18 y/o, and 194 (1.0%) were < 5 years old. More men (59.9%) than women (40.1%,) were admitted to hospital with covid-19. 5/x

Age structure. Note the substantial fraction of pts still receiving care - too soon to know whether they will be discharged or die from the disease. Median age of patients who died in the cohort (80 years). 6/x

Most common major comorbidities were chronic cardiac disease (30.9%) diabetes without complications (20.7%) and chronic pulmonary disease excluding asthma (17.7%). 22.5% had no documented major comorbidity. 7/x

A high proportion of pts required admission to high dependency or ICUs (17%). 55% received high flow oxygen at some point during admission. 16% of pts were treated with non-invasive ventilation, while 10% received invasive ventilation. 8/x

41% of patients were discharged alive, 26% died, and 34% continued to receive care at conclusion of study.9/x

Very useful multivariable Cox proportional hazards chart: age >50 substantially more hazardous than single comorbidities, rising by the decade. Men higher risk than women. 10/x

Case definition of cough and fever, if strictly applied, would miss 7% of study inpatients. 4% of pts presented with enteric symptoms only. This figure could be an underestimate because these patients fall outside standard criteria for testing. 11/end