An Evaluation of Non-Communicable Diseases and Risk Factors Associated with COVID-19 Disease Severity in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: An Observational Retrospective Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and their correlation with COVID-19 disease severity among patients infected in Dubai. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from hospital records of 34,687 COVID-19 patients who visited or were admitted into Dubai hospitals between 28 January 2020 and 30 September 2020. Prevalence of co-morbidities in COVID-19 patients were assessed. The main risk factors associated with COVID-19 disease severity were also identified using three regression models. All co-morbidities were significantly associated with COVID-19 severity in the bivariate analysis (p-value ≤ 0.05) except for vitamin-D deficiency and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Patients with ischemic heart diseases (AOR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.37, 3.15), pulmonary and other heart diseases (AOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.32) and chronic kidney diseases (AOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.25) had higher odds of severe COVID-19 symptoms. Suffering from multiple co-morbidities increased the odds of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms substantially in comparison to having only one co-morbidity i.e., (AOR: 1.52; 95% CI 1.76–2.60) to (AOR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.37, 3.97). Identifying these risk factors could assist in the early recognition of high-risk populations and ensure the most appropriate preventive measures and required medical management during the pandemic.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics Associated with COVID-19 Severity Among Hospitalized Patients in the United Arab Emirates: A Retrospective Multicentre Study

“…Our study also found that diabetes and obesity were associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes consistent with previous research [ 8 ]. Given the high prevalence of diabetes and obesity in the UAE, understanding the complicated and multidirectional relationship between these conditions and COVID-19 is crucial [ 23 ].…”

“…Previous studies have identified predictors of COVID-19 severity including sociodemographic factors such as ethnicity, gender, and residence area [ 6 , 7 ]; as well as comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, kidney diseases, nervous system disorders, and obesity [ 8 ]. Smoking status has also shown conflicting associations with some studies suggesting it as a potential predictor of adverse COVID-19 outcomes [ 9 ], while others associate current smoking to a lower risk of severe COVID-19 [ 10 ].…”

“…Previous studies in the UAE focused primarily on COVID-19 severity using medical records [ 8 ] specific populations such as paediatric patients [ 12 ], were confined to a single emirate [ 8 ], or a single healthcare facility [ 13 ]. This study aims to address these gaps by using two methods of data collection across multiple healthcare centres in more than one emirate.…”

Assessment of Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes During the Global Mpox Outbreak in June 2022: A Cross-Sectional Study From the United Arab Emirates

“…These results may highlight the possible bidirectional process between experiencing worries and becoming more anxious [36]. Concerning factors associated with worry, our results show that worry about mpox declined with age and was lowest in individuals over the age of 45 years; despite the fact that the older persons are more susceptible to developing complications [38,39] Previous studies have reported similar results [40,41]. One study on COVID-19 worries and mental health, found that older age moderated the impact of COVID-19 by acting as a buffer against the negative psychological effects [32].…”

Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on health and well-being in the United Arab Emirates

“…The authors recommended however that although online sources may be a powerful tool for propagating knowledge and health suggestions, information should be accurate and from reputable sources and should be aligned with scientific sources In the UAE, 41% of surveyed COVID-19 patients were categorized as overweight and 25% were obese. Consequently, these overweight/obese patients had a 58% higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms compared to normal-weight patients (Al Bastaki et al, 2022). Hence, although lockdown protocols aimed to safeguard populations from COVID-19 risk, the low levels of physical activity and social isolation also worsened respiratory and cardiovascular health risk factors; as well as psychological stress, anxiety, and depression (Abouzid et al, 2021;López-Bueno et al, 2021;Stockwell et al, 2021;Al Sabbah et al, 2022).…”