Baseline drug treatments and long-term outcomes in COVID- 19-hospitalized patients: results of the 2020 AUTCOV study

Limited data are available on long-term morbidity and mortality after COVID-19 hospitalization. In this population-based study, we investigated the long-term mortality and morbidity after COVID-19 hospitalization and associations with baseline drug treatments. Data were provided on hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 2020 and matched controls by the Austrian Health Insurance Funds. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality conditional on COVID-hospital survival and re-hospitalization due to any reason. The median follow-up was 600 days. 22 571 patients aged > 18 years were hospitalized in Austria in 2020 due to COVID-19. The risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher with polypharmacy. With the exception of the youngest age group (19–40 years), antiepileptics, antipsychotics and the medicament group of iron supplements, erythropoietic stimulating agents, Vitamin B12, and folic acid were significantly associated with a higher risk of death (all p < 0,001). For Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other anti-inflammatory drugs, significantly increased survival was observed (all p < 0,001). Patients had a higher drug prescription load than the control population. Long-term mortality and the risk of re-hospitalization due to any reason were also significantly greater in the patients. Antipsychotics are assumed to be an underrecognized medication group linked to worse outcomes after COVID-19 hospitalization.