Risk factors for developing symptomatic COVID-19 in older residents of nursing homes: A hypothesis-generating observational study

Objectives: To identify which risk factors were associated with developing Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) infection, with symptoms, in institutionalized older people.

Methods: A 1-year longitudinal multi-center study was conducted in 5 nursing homes (NHs) over the period December 2019 to March 2021. Inclusion criteria included being a permanent resident in the NH, aged 65 years or older, and a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 objectively confirmed by a diagnostic test. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed, calculating relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals and statistical significance at p<0.05.

Results: Of the total sample of 78 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, the mean age was 84.6 years (SD=±7.8), 62 (79.5%) were female; 40 (51.3%) participants presented with COVID-19 symptoms. Living in a private NH (RR=3.6, 95% CI [1.2-11.0], p=0.023) and having suffered a stroke (RR=4.1, 95% CI [1.1-14.7], p=0.033) were positively associated with developing COVID-19 infection with symptoms.

Conclusions: Having suffered a stroke and living permanently in a private NH were positively associated with symptomatic COVID-19 in this sample of institutionalized older people.Clinical Trials ID: NCT04297904.