How many hospitalisations involved a COVID-19 diagnosis?
Nationally, in 2020–21:
- there were 4,700 hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis, including 4,400 hospitalisations where the COVID-19 virus was identified (U07.1–COVID-19, virus identified) and 290 hospitalisations where the COVID-19 virus was clinically diagnosed (U07.2, COVID-19, virus not identified with laboratory testing)
- the average length of stay for hospitalisations for patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis was 9 days on average, which ranged from 1 day to 230 days (nearly 8 months).
Hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis
Under the advice of the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), a diagnosis of COVID-19 was coded using emergency use ICD-10-AM diagnoses.
The analysis presented here includes hospitalisations with a diagnosis of
- Emergency use of U07.1 [COVID-19, virus identified] is assigned when COVID‑19 has been confirmed by laboratory testing.
- Emergency use of U07.2 [COVID-19, virus not identified] is assigned when COVID-19 has been clinically diagnosed, but laboratory testing is inconclusive, not available or unspecified.
A third diagnosis code identified where infection with COVID-19 was tested and ruled out. This was not considered a diagnosis of COVID-19 for the purpose of the analysis in this report.
- Emergency use code U06.0 Emergency use of U06.0 [COVID-19, ruled out] is assigned when laboratory testing for COVID-19 produces a negative test result.
More information can be found on the IHPA website.
Who received hospital care for a COVID-19 diagnosis?
Older age is known to impact on health outcomes of patients hospitalised with a COVID-19 diagnosis (Australian Government 2021; Burrell et al. 2021).
In 2020–21:
- 66% of hospitalisations were for people aged 45 or older
- only 4.3% of hospitalisations were for infants or young children, aged 0–14.
The number of hospitalisations for patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis was slighly higher for females (2,400 hospitalisations) than males (2,300 hospitalisations).
Where did patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis live?
There were more hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis for patients who lived in cities and in areas classified as being the least disadvantaged.
In 2020–21, of the 4,700 hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis:
Intensive care for hospitalisations involving COVID-19 diagnosis
Hospitalisations in which the person spent time in an ICU and/or receiving CVS are an indication that the patient required a higher level of acute care as a result of an infection with the COVID-19 virus. During these hospitalisations, patients had at least one hour of ICU or CVS recorded, or a combination of both.
In 2020–21, of the 4,700 hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis:
- 7.0% of hospitalisations involved a stay in ICU, during which patients received an average of 130 hours in ICU care
- 3.8% of hospitalisations involved CVS
- 10.3% of hospitalisations had a separation mode indicating that patient died in hospital.
Hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis with a comorbid chronic condition
Emerging studies on COVID-19 found that patients with an underlying chronic condition are at higher risk of contracting the virus, and experiencing complications or more severe illnesses from COVID-19 (Ng et al. 2021; Burrell et al. 2021). Selected chronic conditions are known to affect the health outcomes of patients with COVID-19, including: cardiovascular disease, diabetes (type 1 and 2), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, obesity and other conditions.
When patients receive care during their hospitalisation, they may receive treatment for one or more conditions. Patients hospitalised with a COVID-19 diagnosis may have received care for another chronic condition, which is recorded as a primary diagnosis or in an additional diagnosis. For this analysis, these diagnoses are referred to as ‘comorbid chronic conditions’. A list of the selected comorbid chronic conditions included in the analysis are provided in the ‘More information about the data’ below.
Comorbid chronic conditions
In 2020–21, of the 4,700 hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis:
- most hospitalisations (58%) recorded no comorbid chronic condition recorded
- 26% of hospitalisations recorded one comorbid chronic comorbid condition recorded
- 15% of hospitalisations recorded two or more chronic comorbid conditions recorded.
In 2020–21, hospitalisations involving a COVID-19 diagnosis for patients with one or more comorbid chronic conditions recorded were more likely to receive a higher level of acute care in an ICU and/or receive CVS.
Of the hospitalisations with one comorbid chronic condition recorded:
- 10% of hospitalisations involved time spent in ICU
- 5% involved CVS
- 14% had separation mode indicating the patient died in hospital.
Of the hospitalisations with two or more comorbid chronic conditions recorded:
- 16% of hospitalisations involved time spent in ICU
- 11% involved CVS
- 26% had a separation mode indicating the patient died in hospital.
In comparison, hospitalisations involving no comorbid chronic conditions were less likely to involve time spent in ICU and/or receive CVS. Of the hospitalisations with no comorbid chronic conditions recorded:
- 3.1% hospitalisations involved time spent in ICU
- 1.4% involved CVS
- 5% had a separation mode indicating the patient died in hospital.
Patients who received treatment in ICU and/or CVS with a comorbid condition
The most common comorbid conditions associated with COVID-19 hospitalisations were cardiovascular disease (20%) and Type 2 diabetes (20%).
Of those hospitalisations with a recorded comorbid diagnosis of cardiovascular disease:
- 18% of hospitalisations involved time spent in ICU
- 13% involved CVS
- 20% had a separation mode indicating the patient died in hospital.
Of those with a recorded comorbid diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes:
- 12% of hospitalisations involved time spent in ICU
- 7% involved CVS
- 19% had a separation mode indicating the patient died in hospital.
How many patients were hospitalised with an adverse effect of a COVID-19 vaccination?
Covid vaccinations commenced in Australia on the 22nd of February 2021. During the 2020–21 collection period, the Australian Government Department of Health reported there were just over 7.6 million doses of vaccine administered across Australia.
Between 22nd February 2021 and 30 June 2021, there were 2,000 hospitalisations assigned the external cause code U07.7 [Emergency use of U07.7: COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use].