Do not neglect SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization and fatality risks in the middle-aged adult population

Nathanael Lapidus; Juliette Paireau; Daniel Levy-Bruhl; Xavier de Lamballerie; Gianluca Severi; Mathilde Touvier; Marie Zins; Simon Cauchemez; Fabrice Carrat; SAPRIS-SERO study group

doi:10.1016/j.idnow.2020.12.007

Do not neglect SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization and fatality risks in the middle-aged adult population

Infect Dis Now. 2021 Jun;51(4):380-382. doi: 10.1016/j.idnow.2020.12.007. Epub 2021 Jan 18.

Authors

Nathanael Lapidus¹, Juliette Paireau², Daniel Levy-Bruhl³, Xavier de Lamballerie⁴, Gianluca Severi⁵, Mathilde Touvier⁶, Marie Zins⁷, Simon Cauchemez⁸, Fabrice Carrat⁹; SAPRIS-SERO study group

Affiliations

¹ Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre-Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP, Paris, France. Electronic address: nathanael.lapidus@inserm.fr.
² Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France; Santé Publique France, French National Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, France.
³ Santé Publique France, French National Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, France.
⁴ Unité des Virus Emergents, UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, Inserm 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France.
⁵ Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications, University of Florence, Italy; CESP UMR1018, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
⁶ Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Inserm U1153, Inrae U1125, Cnam, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center-University of Paris (CRESS), Bobigny, France.
⁷ Paris University, Paris, France; Paris Saclay University, Inserm UMS 11, Villejuif, France.
⁸ Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France.
⁹ Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre-Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, APHP, Paris, France.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed at estimating the SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalization (IHR) and infection fatality ratios (IFR) in France.

Patients and methods: A serosurvey was conducted in 9782 subjects from the two French regions with the highest incidence of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic and coupled with surveillance data.

Results: IHR and IFR were 2.7% and 0.49% overall. Both were higher in men and increased exponentially with age. The relative risks of hospitalization and death were 2.1 (95% CI: 1.9-2.3) and 3.8 (2.4-4.2) per 10-year increase, meaning that IHR and IFR approximately doubled every 10 and 5 years, respectively. They were dramatically high in the very elderly (80-90 years: IHR: 26%, IFR: 9.2%), and also substantial in younger adults (40-50 years: IHR: 0.98%, IFR: 0.042%).

Conclusions: These findings support the need for comprehensive preventive measures to help reduce the spread of the virus, even in young or middle-aged adults.

Keywords: Adult; Age-Specific Death Rate; COVID-19; France; SARS-CoV-2.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
COVID-19 / mortality*
COVID-19 / prevention & control
COVID-19 / therapy*
Female
France / epidemiology
Hospitalization*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Risk Assessment
Young Adult