Mortality in COVID hospitalized patients is 22% higher in rural areas

According to a recent study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in rural communities are 22% more likely to experience all-cause mortality and 6% more likely to be readmitted to the hospital than those in urban communities, suggesting that COVID-19 has more of a detrimental impact in rural areas.

The researchers collected and evaluated data from patients across 17 hospitals in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin who were in the hospital between March 1, 2020, and July 22, 2022, and looked at follow-up data until May 2023.

Approximately 31% of the participants were from rural communities, while 69% resided in urban counties. Despite a lower proportion of rural patients in the study, their risk of all-cause mortality was 22% greater. Additionally, rural patients tended to have higher readmission rates.

The investigators noted that these results remained stable when comparing pre-and post-vaccination periods.

“Patients from rural counties experienced higher mortality and tended to be readmitted more frequently following COVID-19 hospitalization over the long term compared to those from urban counties, a difference that remained even after the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines,” concluded the researchers in the publication.

Although more research is needed to clarify the cause behind these discrepancies, the study suggested multiple reasons. One possible explanation is the rate of comorbidities in different geographic locations. The study revealed that rural patients had higher rates of comorbidities, including obesity, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, and substance use, which are linked to overall poorer health outcomes and worse COVID outcomes.

The publication also highlights that rural populations are among the most vulnerable patient groups in the United States because of their limited access to high-quality, post-acute, primary, and specialty care.

“The constraints in post-acute care services may have contributed to higher long-term mortality rates among patients from rural counties, and this requires further investigation in future studies,” added the researchers.

While more extensive research is needed to address these disparities, studies like this underscore the fact that rural communities are significantly impacted by COVID-19.