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. 2023 Oct 1;49(10):440–445. doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v49i10a05

Table 1. Risk factors associated with severe outcomes for patients dispensed nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (PaxlovidTM), Canadaa, 2022.

Risk factor Percentage with severe outcomes Odds ratio
(95% CI)
p-valueb
Immunosuppressed status
Immunosuppressed 7.78 3.79 (3.28–4.37) <0.0001
Not immunosuppressed 2.18 Reference
Vaccination status
Unvaccinated/incomplete primary series 4.37 1.91 (1.62–2.26) <0.000
Primary series/primary series with one or more booster 2.33 Reference
Age
60 years and older 2.69 1.64 (1.42–1.89) <0.0001
0–59 years 1.64 Reference
Sex
Male 2.73 1.25 (1.12–1.39) <0.0001
Female 2.20 Reference
Number of comorbidities
One or more 2.92 1.97 (1.73–2.24) <0.0001
None 1.50 Reference

a Based on data from six reporting jurisdictions

b The p-values were obtained from Pearson’s Chi-squared test. Primary series was defined as either two doses of a vaccine with a two-dose schedule (e.g. mRNA vaccines) or one dose of a vaccine with a one-dose primary series (e.g. Janssen Jcovden® COVID-19 Vaccine). Incomplete primary series was defined as having received at least one COVID-19 vaccine but not meeting the requirements for being considered having completed the primary series as per information in immunization records. The term “immunosuppressed” was defined as individuals meeting the following criteria: receipt of treatment for solid tumours and hematologic malignancies (including individuals with lymphoid malignancies who are being monitored without active treatment); receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy; receipt of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplantation or taking immunosuppressive therapy); moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g. DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, common variable immunodeficiency, Good’s syndrome, hyper IgE syndrome); advanced or untreated HIV infection; and/or active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e. 20 mg or more prednisone or equivalent per day when administered for two or more weeks), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumour-necrosis factor (TFN) blockers, and other biological agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory