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(CNN) -
People who survive a severe case of COVID-19 face a significantly higher risk of death within a year of diagnosis than others, including those without COVID-19 and those with a mild or moderate case, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.
Researchers at the University of Florida tracked the de-identified medical records of nearly 14,000 patients who were tested or diagnosed with COVID-19 at the University of Florida health system between January and June 2020. The results of the 12 months following a patient's first positive COVID-19 test or the first test in the system were analyzed if all were negative.
The researchers found that people who had a severe case of COVID-19 - those requiring hospitalization - were about 2.5 times more likely to die within a year than those without COVID-19 and almost twice as likely. more likely to die than those with a mild or moderate case requiring only outpatient care.
In the case of those under 65, the risk of mortality from severe covid-19 was even higher.
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Only about 20% of the "descending deaths" among COVID-19 patients were from respiratory or cardiovascular causes.
"Since these deaths were not from a direct cause of covid-19 among these patients who have recovered from the initial episode of covid-19, these data suggest that the biological damage of covid-19 and physiological stress are significant," they wrote. researchers.
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The study found no significant difference in mortality risk between patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 and those without COVID-19, suggesting that preventing severe COVID-19 infections is the most effective way to treat. avoid deaths.
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This finding furthers the value of vaccination, "a measure that can both prevent and substantially decrease the risk of a severe COVID-19 infection, as rupture infections have been shown to be mild-moderate in severity," they wrote. researchers.
Mortality risks were adjusted for several factors, including age, sex, and race and ethnicity.
Although the study had a relatively large sample size, it is limited to one healthcare system and may not be representative of broader results.
Additionally, data collection began in January, before an official diagnosis code for covid-19 was issued.
The researchers note that knowledge about the disease "has increased considerably since then" and the results may be less significant if they are repeated later in the pandemic.
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