The Association between Comorbidity and Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant (B.1.1.529) Infection in Bengkulu: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The Omicron variant is a strain of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with higher infectivity and transmissibility (2.8 and 3.2 times) than Delta, but the pathogenicity of Omicron is weaker. Some studies indicate that a history of comorbidities can enhance the pathogenicity. Objectives: This research investigates the correlation between comorbidity and disease severity in COVID-19 patients with the Omicron variant in Bengkulu. Methods: This observational type with cross-sectional design consisted of 191 COVID-19 patients from January to December 2022. COVID-19 positive confirmation was collected through RT-PCR and medical records from Dr. M. Yunus, Harapan dan Doa, and Rafflesia Hospital with total sampling method. The medical record encompassed demographic characteristics, clinical manifestation features, and comorbid types. Subsequently, an analysis was conducted to examine the correlation between comorbidity and disease severity using the Spearman Rank test. Results: The majority of subjects were 18-60 years (60.7%) and 53.9% were male. Most of the subjects experienced cough (72,7%) and were at a moderate level (47.6%). The most common comorbid were hypertension (21.3%), and cardiovascular diseases (20.6%), and the third common comorbid were diabetes and chronic kidney disease (15.4%). Overall, the disease severity was observed in 58 patients with mild, 91 moderate, and 42 severe. Spearman Rank test showed a significant correlation (p = 0,000) between comorbidities and disease severity of COVID-19 patients with the Omicron variant in Bengkulu City with moderate correlation strength (rs = 0,572). Conclusions: The comorbidity history significantly influences the severity of illness among COVID-19 Omicron variant patients, whereby an increased number of comorbidities aggravated the severity of the disease.