The African Covid-19 critical care outcomes study (ACCCOS)
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Date
2020-10-08
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Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Abstract
TYPE OF STUDY
Multi-centre prospective observational cohort study.
PROBLEM
The infectious disease COVID-19, caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), has been declared a pandemic and an international
healthcare emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has spread across the globe,
overwhelming healthcare systems by causing high rates of critical illness. Mortality from COVID-19
exceeds 4%, with older people with comorbidities being extremely vulnerable. It is expected that
between 50-80% of the world’s population may contract SARS-CoV-2 over the next two years.
In Africa there is a limited workforce and there are limited intensive care facilities and
critical care resources across to provide sufficient care.
It is important therefore to establish what resources, comorbidities and interventions are
potentially associated with either mortality or survival in patients with COVID-19 who are referred
for critical care in Africa. Rapid dissemination of these findings may help mitigate mortality from
COVID-19 in critical care patients in Africa. These points provide the rationale for the African
COVID-19 Critical Care Outcomes Study (ACCCOS).
STUDY OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this study are to identify critical care resources associated with survival,
identify patient comorbidities and other risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality and to
identify in hospital interventions associated with in-hospital survival in patients with suspected or
known COVID-19 in Africa.
METHODS
An African multi-centre retrospective and prospective observational cohort study of
adult (≥18 years) patients referred to critical care or high-care units with suspected or known
COVID-19 infection. Patient follow up will be for a maximum of 30 days in-hospital.
The intention is to provide a representative sample of the mortality and the risk factors
associated with mortality in adult patients with suspected or known COVID-19 referred for critical
care in Africa. This study will run between Aprils to December 2020.
EXPECTED FINDINGS AND DISSEMINATION
We expect the outcomes to be potentially worse in Africa, because firstly, there is a limited
workforce, and secondly there are limited intensive care facilities and critical care resources across
Africa to provide sufficient care.
A report of the research findings will be submitted to the College of Medicine Research and
Ethics Committee, the College of Medicine Library, the Health Sciences research committee, the
University research and publication committee, the Lancet Commission and the Ministry of Health.
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Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES