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. 2023 Oct 6;72(40):1089-1094.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7240a3.

COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations Among U.S. Adults Aged ≥65 Years - COVID-NET, 13 States, January-August 2023

Christopher A Taylor, Kadam Patel, Monica E Patton, Arthur Reingold, Breanna Kawasaki, James Meek, Kyle Openo, Patricia A Ryan, Anna Falkowski, Erica Bye, Kelly Plymesser, Nancy Spina, Brenda L Tesini, Nancy E Moran, Melissa Sutton, H Keipp Talbot, Andrea George, Fiona P Havers; COVID-NET Surveillance Team
Collaborators, Affiliations

COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations Among U.S. Adults Aged ≥65 Years - COVID-NET, 13 States, January-August 2023

Christopher A Taylor et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

Adults aged ≥65 years remain at elevated risk for severe COVID-19 disease and have higher COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates compared with those in younger age groups. Data from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) were analyzed to estimate COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates during January-August 2023 and identify demographic and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years during January-June 2023. Among adults aged ≥65 years, hospitalization rates more than doubled, from 6.8 per 100,000 during the week ending July 15 to 16.4 per 100,000 during the week ending August 26, 2023. Across all age groups, adults aged ≥65 years accounted for 62.9% (95% CI = 60.1%-65.7%) of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, 61.3% (95% CI = 54.7%-67.6%) of intensive care unit admissions, and 87.9% (95% CI = 80.5%-93.2%) of in-hospital deaths associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations. Most hospitalized adults aged ≥65 years (90.3%; 95% CI = 87.2%-92.8%) had multiple underlying conditions, and fewer than one quarter (23.5%; 95% CI = 19.5%-27.7%) had received the recommended COVID-19 bivalent vaccine. Because adults aged ≥65 years remain at increased risk for COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe outcomes, guidance for this age group should continue to focus on measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, encourage vaccination, and promote early treatment for persons who receive a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result to reduce their risk for severe COVID-19-associated outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Brenda L. Tesini reports receipt of honoraria from Merck. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Weekly COVID-19–associated hospitalization rates, by age group — COVID-NET, 13 states, January 1–August 26, 2023 Abbreviation: COVID-NET = COVID-19–Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network. * COVID-19–associated hospitalizations among patients who received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result during hospitalization or ≤14 days before admission.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Percentage,,, of adults aged ≥65 years with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection for which COVID-19–related illness was the likely presenting complaint with severe hospitalization interventions and outcomes, by age group — COVID-NET, 13 states, January–June 2023 Abbreviation: COVID-NET = COVID-19–Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network. * With 95% CIs indicated by error bars. † Proportions are from a weighted sample of hospitalized adults with completed medical chart abstraction and a discharge disposition. § Data are not presented when sample size <10 (invasive mechanical ventilation for persons aged 75–84 years). Relative SEs for estimated percentages of in-hospital deaths among patients aged 75–84 and ≥85 years and for invasive mechanical ventilation among persons aged ≥85 years are >30, and therefore, estimates might be unstable because of small sample sizes.
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