Survival rates and long-term outcomes for patients with COVID-19 admitted to Norwegian ICUs

The study Survival and late symptoms for patients admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 in Norway is a collaborative project between Oslo University Hospital and the Norwegian Intensive Care and Pandemic Register (Helse Vest), and has a twofold purpose. The first part of the study consisted of describing (e.g. age, gender, risk factors) the Norwegian Covid-19 population who received treatment in intensive care, and examining survival. The second part of the study was to investigate the incidence of late symptoms (Long Covid) in survivors, in the first year after admission. In the study, we summarized the first three waves (spring -20, autumn 20 and spring 21), and found that the mortality rate was significantly higher in autumn 2020 (30%). We also saw that the use of mask treatment increased beyond the pandemic, and that the length of stay decreased. The second part of the study consisted of following up all those who survived intensive care, throughout the first year. The response rate is somewhere between 50-60% on this data, which is relatively good in a follow-up study. We have examined the level of post-traumatic stress symptoms after 6 months from the first wave, and it may appear that this level is no higher than we have previously seen in other intensive care patients, the same applies to anxiety and depression. In contrast, it may appear that a fairly high number reported some form of reduced cognitive function such as concentration problems, and here the basis for comparison is somewhat weaker from other populations. We are now in the process of investigating the occurrence of fatigue for the entire sample.