[Impact of days elapsed from the onset of symptoms to hospitalization in COVID-19 in-hospital mortality: Time matters].

Background: COVID-19 shows different clinical and pathophysiological stages over time. Theeffect of days elapsed from the onset of symptoms (DEOS) to hospitalization on COVID-19prognostic factors remains uncertain. We analyzed the impact on mortality of DEOS to hospital-ization and how other independent prognostic factors perform when taking this time elapsedinto account.

Methods: This retrospective, nationwide cohort study, included patients with confirmed COVID-19 from February 20th and May 6th, 2020. The data was collected in a standardized online datacapture registry. Univariate and multivariate COX-regression were performed in the generalcohort and the final multivariate model was subjected to a sensitivity analysis in an earlypresenting (EP; < 5 DEOS) and late presenting (LP; ≥5 DEOS) group.

Results: 7915 COVID-19 patients were included in the analysis, 2324 in the EP and 5591 in theLP group. DEOS to hospitalization was an independent prognostic factor of in-hospital mortalityin the multivariate Cox regression model along with other 9 variables. Each DEOS incrementaccounted for a 4.3% mortality risk reduction (HR 0.957; 95% CI 0.93---0.98). Regarding variationsin other mortality predictors in the sensitivity analysis, the Charlson Comorbidity Index onlyremained significant in the EP group while D-dimer only remained significant in the LP group.

Conclusion: When caring for COVID-19 patients, DEOS to hospitalization should be consideredas their need for early hospitalization confers a higher risk of mortality. Different prognosticfactors vary over time and should be studied within a fixed timeframe of the disease.