Table 1.
Average Monthly Admission Rates in COPD Patients According to Primary Diagnosis During the Pandemic, Compared with a Prepandemic Period
| Primary Diagnosis | Monthly Number of Prepandemic Admissions | Monthly Number of Pandemic Admissions | Admission IRR | Pa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (95% CI) | Mean (95% CI) | (95% CI) | ||
| AECOPD | 78 (75–81) | 56 (53–59) | 0.72 (0.67–0.77) | <0.001 |
| Pneumonia | 27 (25–28) | 15 (13–16) | 0.56 (0.49–0.62) | <0.001 |
| Influenzab | 3.8 (2.5–5.5) | 0.7 (0.4–1.2) | 0.18 (0.10–0.30) | <0.001 |
| COVID-19 | 0 | 15 | ||
| Total COPD admissionsc | 107 (103–111) | 85 (81–89) | 0.79 (0.75–0.84) | <0.001 |
Notes: ap-values and incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Poisson regression. bMean admission rates for influenza were calculated for the winter period, as defined in the method section. cCombined outcome of all COPD admissions for AECOPD, pneumonia, influenza, or COVID-19.
Abbreviations: AECOPD, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; IRR, incidence rate ratio.