Abstract

Background and aims: Severe outcomes of COVID-19 are associated with advancing age and comorbidities. The specific aim of our study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the clinical course and outcome of patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: We retrieved data from VA national repository and identified patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA who had cirrhosis. Each virus positive patient was propensity-matched with virus negative subjects by demographics and comorbidities. Primary endpoint was death within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis and secondary endpoint was hospitalization within 14 days.

Results: Among 1,115,037 individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, 31,680 had cirrhosis. Of those patients, 4456 virus positive patients were propensity-matched with 8752 virus negative subjects. In this cohort of 13,208, median age was 67 years and 95% were male. Most had multiple comorbidities. Alcohol use, hepatitis C and MASH were the dominant etiologies of cirrhosis. At baseline, median MELD was 6% and 21% had hepatic decompensation. Advanced age was the most significant determinant of hospitalization and mortality. Comorbidities, alcohol use and MELD increased the likelihood of hospitalization whereas SARS-CoV-2 positivity had lower Day-14 hospitalization hazard. MELD was associated with higher mortality hazard whereas vaccination reduced the hazard of hospitalization and death. SARS-CoV-2 positivity increased the hazard of death at Day-30 by 72% and at Day-90 by 26%.

Conclusion: Although patients with cirrhosis who developed COVID-19 were less likely to be hospitalized, they were more likely to die within 30 days compared to their virus negative counterparts. Vaccination was effective in reducing both hospitalization and death.