Hospital data show improved survival, shorter stays with COVID-19

Better understanding of how to treat COVID-19 has increased survival rates and shortened hospital stays, according to an analysis prepared for STAT News by the independent nonprofit FAIR Health. The September mortality rate was 3.7%, far lower than the 11.4% rate reported in March, with average length of hospital stay dropping from 10.5 to 4.6 days during the same period. Studies conducted in England and New York City found similar improvements. Researchers attribute the better outcomes to clinicians’ accumulation of knowledge on what constitutes effective treatment for the disease. Notably, the use of ventilators fell from 18.6% in March to 1.5% in September while the use of dexamethasone increased. (STAT News article, 11/23/20)