Project #53:
Short report for JCVI

This was an early look at work which was later written up for publication (see Risks of COVID-19 hospital admission and death for people with learning disabilities - a cohort study.)

Two cohorts were assembled, reflecting the two first waves of COVID-19 experienced in the UK, comprising males and females aged up to 105 years: (1) wave 1, from 1st March 2020 until 31st August 2020; (2) wave 2, 1st September 2020 until 31st December 2020 (for admissions) or 8th February 2021 (for deaths). The main outcomes were COVID-19 related death and COVID-19 related hospitalisation. Various risk factors were included, with particular focus on whether or not the person was on the learning disability register.

Generally, age was the strongest factor associated with both outcomes, but much stronger for COVID-19 death than mortality. Various comorbidities were associated with increased absolute risks, aligning with the earlier work on risk factors (Nature, 2020). Learning disabilities was noted as being associated with increased risks (leading to subsequent publication focused on that question).