In-hospital mortality for COVID-19 patients fell 15 percentage points from March to August 2020, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers analyzed data on 192,550 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at 555 hospitals from March to August 2020. Data came from the Vizient clinical database, which includes information on more than 650 academic medical centers in 47 states.
Overall, 13.6 percent of patients included in the analysis died during hospitalization.
In-hospital mortality fell significantly, from 22.1 percent in March, to 6.5 percent in August. The biggest drop occurred from April to May, when mortality fell from 18.1 percent to 12 percent.
Researchers also found an association between increasing age and higher death rates.
The study does not assess how treatment differences may have influenced mortality, which is a limitation, the researchers said.
To view the full study, click here.
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