Background and aims: Older adults with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are a vulnerable population with unique health challenges, especially in the "new normal" of COVID-19 as an established global virus for which there is no cure. For older adults with NDD, COVID-19 infection would carry a high risk for adverse hospitalization outcomes from under-prepared health care systems treating community pandemic in this vulnerable population. Yet, COVID 19 hospitalization outcomes for older adults with NDD are less understood and by their pre-existing conditions. We aimed to determine the association between COVID-19 infection and emergency hospitalization admission among older adults with NDD.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study 7,220 older patients aged over 55 years and with NDD from the Texas Inpatient Discharge database. The case group comprised 591 NDD adults with COVID-19, while the control group comprised 6,629 adults without COVID-19.
Results: Binary logistic regression analysis indicated older adults with NDD had a significantly higher likelihood of emergency admission (OR= 1.73, 95%CI: 1.41-2.11). The risk was higher for by less resources health insurance (OR= 2.19, 95%CI: 1.83-2.61). Emergency admission risk was 80% higher for US racial minorities and also if with pre-exiting conditions of heart failure, dementia, and anemia.
Conclusion and Implications: This study underscores the heightened risk for adverse emergency admission outcomes among older adults with NDD with COVID. The findings suggest an urgent need for comprehensive health support programs for older adults with NDD to improve their COVID hospitalization outcomes, and reducing mortality in this high-risk population.
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