Background Frailty and multimorbidity have been suggested as risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease. Aims We investigated, in the UK Biobank, whether frailty and multimorbidity were associated with risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19. Methods 502,640 participants aged 40–69 years at baseline (54–79 years at COVID-19 testing) were recruited across UK during 2006–10. A modified assessment of frailty using Fried’s classification was generated from baseline data. COVID-19 test results (England) were available for 16/03/2020–01/06/2020, mostly taken in hospital settings. Logistic regression was used to discern associations between frailty, multimorbidity and COVID-19 diagnoses, after adjusting for sex, age, BMI, ethnicity, education, smoking and number of comorbidity groupings, comparing COVID-19 positive, COVID-19 negative and non-tested groups. Results 4510 participants were tested for COVID-19 (positive = 1326, negative = 3184). 497,996 participants were not tested. Compared to the non-tested group, after adjustment, COVID-19 positive participants were more likely to be frail (OR = 1.4 [95%CI = 1.1, 1.8]), report slow walking speed (OR = 1.3 [1.1, 1.6]), report two or more falls in the past year (OR = 1.3 [1.0, 1.5]) and be multimorbid (≥ 4 comorbidity groupings vs 0–1: OR = 1.9 [1.5, 2.3]). However, similar strength of associations were apparent when comparing COVID-19 negative and non-tested groups. However, frailty and multimorbidity were not associated with COVID-19 diagnoses, when comparing COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative participants. Discussion and conclusions Frailty and multimorbidity do not appear to aid risk stratification, in terms of positive versus negative results of COVID-19 testing. Investigation of the prognostic value of these markers for adverse clinical sequelae following COVID-19 disease is urgently needed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40520-020-01653-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Epidemiology, UK biobank, frailty, Osteoporosis, Musculoskeletal, 【초록키워드】 hospital, Comorbidity, Sex, risk, smoking, risk factor, COVID-19 disease, risk stratification, COVID-19 testing, age, BMI, England, severe COVID-19 disease, association, marker, investigation, Multimorbidity, COVID-19 test, Prognostic value, Participants, supplementary material, diagnoses, participant, positive, Result, tested, was used, recruited, investigated, suggested, groups, baseline, COVID-19 negative, hospitalisation with COVID-19, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 association, Analysis, participant,