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Correction

After the publication of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19: Findings from the World Heart Federation COVID-19 Study [1], the authors noticed some minor errors that required correcting. These fell into four different categories:

  1. Some of the tables required amendments.

  2. The list of collaborators was incomplete.

  3. Some wording throughout the text was not sufficiently precise.

  4. The acknowledgement section was incomplete.

The Table Amendments

One decimal point value was missed in Tables 2a and 2b. 2a was also missing the titles in the first two columns, which were ‘Overall, N (%)’ and ‘Survivors, N(%)’. On Table 3, two decimal point values were added for the blood results: WBC, Troponin T.

Table 2a

Demographic and clinical characteristics of study participants.

OVERALLSURVIVORSIN-HOSPITAL DEATHS N (%)POST DISCHARGE 30-DAY DEATHS, N (%)P-VALUE FOR DIFFERENCE
N (%)N (%)
N53134512 (84.9)683 (12.9)118 (2.6)
Age, mean (SD)57.0 (16.1)55.6 (16.0)64.8 (14.2)65.4 (13.4)<0.001
Male3159 (59.4)2642 (83.6)431 (13.6)86 (2.7)<0.001
Female2154 (40.5)1870 (86.8)252 (11.7)32 (1.5)
Ethnic Origin<0.001
Caucasian800 (15.1)749 (93.6)45 (5.6)6 (0.8)
Hispanic542 (10.2)403 (74.4)134 (24.7)5 (0.9)
Black796 (15.0)669 (84)117 (14.7)10 (1.3)
Middle Eastern315 (5.9)283 (89.8)18 (5.7)14 (4.4)
Asian2442 (46.0)2046 (83.8)324 (13.3)72 (2.9)
Other346 (6.5)303 (84.4)45 (12.5)11 (3.1)
World Bank income groups<0.001
LIC376 (7.1)331 (88.0)39 (10.4)6 (1.6)
LMIC2526 (47.5)2141 (81.3)403 (15.3)89 (3.4)
UMIC1044 (19.6)742 (79.2)181 (19.3)14 (1.5)
HIC1367 (25.7)1298 (95)60 (4.4)9 (0.7)
Education<0.001
Up to primary510 (9.6)388 (76.1)110 (21.6)12 (2.4)
Up to secondary1162 (21.9)1011 (87.0)123 (10.6)28 (2.4)
College/University1264 (23.8)1140 (90.2)111 (8.8)13 (1.0)
Unknown2291 (43.1)1906 (82.5)338 (14.6)65 (2.8)
Smoking status<0.001
Never3080 (58.0)2664 (86.5)359 (11.7)56 (1.8)
Current370 (7.0)342 (92.2)22 (5.9)7 (1.9)
Former751 (14.1)645 (85.9)89 (11.9)17 (2.3)
Unknown1110 (20.9)861 (77.5)212 (19.1)38 (3.4)
Body mass index (Kg/m2), mean (SD)26.9 (5.3)0.35
Underweight (<18)71 (1.3)65 (91.5)5 (7.0)1 (1.5)
Normal weight (18–24)1414 (26.6)1246 (87.9)147 (10.4)25 (1.8)0.57
Overweight (25–29)1289 (24.3)1137 (88.3)139 (10.8)12 (0.9)
Obese (≥30)831 (15.6)730 (88.2)88 (10.6)10 (1.2)

[i] SD = standard deviation; row percentage reported for all categorical variables.

Table 2b

COVID-19 symptoms and comorbidities among study participants.

COVID-SYMPTOMS AND VITAL SIGNSOVERALLSURVIVORSIN-HOSPITAL DEATHS N (%)POST DISCHARGE 30-DAY DEATHS N (%)
N (%)N (%)
Diagnosed by using RT-PCR5050 (95.0)4299(85.1)644(12.8)107(2.1)
Median time from symptom onset to admission (IQR) in minutes5 (3–8)5 (3–8)5 (3–8)4 (2–7)
History of self-reported fever3526 (66.4)3002 (85.1)459 (13.0)65 (1.9)
Cough3624 (68.2)3087 (85.2)472 (13.0)65 (1.8)
Dyspnoea OR Tachypnoea3308 (62.3)2689 (81.3)534(16.1)85 (2.6)
Heart rate (beats/min), mean (SD)92.1 (17.8)91.2 (17.0)96.9 (21.6)95.7 (17.3)
Bradycardia (HR<60bpm) mean (SD)101 (1.9)85 (84)15 (15)1 (1)
Tachycardia (HR>100bpm) mean (SD)1409 (26.5)1103 (78)265 (19)41 (3)
Systolic BP (mmHg), mean (SD)128.8 (20.9)128.7 (19.9)129.7 (25.4)129.7 (26.3)
Diastolic BP (mmHg), mean (SD)78.2 (13.0)78.5 (12.5)76.4 (15.4)77.0 (14.9)
Shortness of Breath (SOB)
    SOB < 100m1336 (25.5)1047(78.4)252 (18.8)37 (2.8)
    SOB 100–500m479 (9.1)364(76.0)96 (20.0)19 (4.0)
    SOB > 500m225 (4.3)203(90.2)15 (6.7)7 (3.1)
Co-morbidities (Cardiovascular)
Hypertension2511 (47.3)2060 (82.0)398 (16.0)53 (2.0)
Diabetes1700 (32.0)1346 (79.2)306 (17.8)48 (3.0)
Coronary artery disease580 (10.9)446 (76.9)103 (17.8)31 (5.3)
Heart Failure290 (5.5)238 (82.1)45 (15.5)7 (2.4)
Stroke197 (3.7)159 (80.7)28 (14.2)10 (5.1)
Atrial Fibrillation159 (3.0)134 (84.3)22 (13.8)3 (1.9)
Peripheral vascular disease106 (2.0)85 (80.2)18 (17.0)3 (2.8)
Cardiomyopathies60 (1.1)53 (88.3)6 (10.0)1 (1.7)
Rheumatic Heart Disease56 (1.1)49 (87.5)7 (12.5)0 (0)
Chagas disease36 (0.7)34 (94.4)2 (5.6)0 (0)
Congenital heart disease182 (3.4)166 (91.2)9 (4.9)7 (3.8)
Valvular disease118 (2.2)94 (79.7)21(17.8)3 (2.5)
Co-morbidities (Non-Cardiovascular)
Chronic kidney disease404 (7.6)299 (74.0)86 (21.3)19 (4.7)
Chronic pulmonary disease208 (3.9)160 (76.5)44 (21.1)5 (2.4)
Asthma219 (4.1)200 (91.3)18 (8.2)1 (0.5)
Chronic Immunosuppression136 (2.6)110 (80.9)25 (18.4)1 (0.7)
HIV71 (1.3)62 (87.3)6 (8.5)3 (4.2)
Tuberculosis56 (1.1)49 (87.5)7 (12.5)0 (0)
Cancer on chemotherapy114 (2.1)90 (78.9)20 (17.5)4 (3.6)
Renal replacement therapy62 (1.2)45 (72.6)16 (25.8)1 (1.6)
Previous organ transplant45 (0.8)38 (84.8)7 (15.6)0 (0)

[i] Rt-PCR = Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction; SD = standard deviation; IQR = Inter quartile range; BP = blood pressure; SOB = Shortness of breath; HIC = high income countries; UMIC = upper middle-income countries; LMIC = lower middle-income countries; LIC = low-income countries; HIV = Human immunodeficiency virus. Row percentage reported for all categorical variables.

Table 3

ECG, ECHO, and laboratory findings among COVID-19 patients at admission.

OVERALL N (%)SURVIVORS N (%)IN-HOSPITAL DEATHS N (%)POST DISCHARGE 30-DAY DEATHS N (%)P-VALUE FOR DIFFERENCE
ECG data (N = 3490)
Atrial fibrillation (yes)131 (2.5)97 (2.1)31 (4.5)3 (2.5)0.003
T-wave changes (yes)774 (14.6)593 (13.1)153 (22.4)28 (23.7)<0.001
QT/QTC duration, median (IQR)419.0 (331.5, 447.0)415.5 (259.0, 445.0)428.0 (360.0, 457.0)448.0 (413.5, 467.0)<0.001
ECHO findings (Median, IQR) (N = 259)
Ejection fraction 1. Teicholz (EF1),59.1 (49.0, 64.0)60.0 (52.0, 64.0)55.0 (45.0, 64.0)59.0 (59.0, 60.0)0.23
Ejection fraction 2. Visual estimations (EF2),55.0 (45.0, 60.0)55.0 (45.0, 60.0)51.5 (45.0, 59.0)50.0 (35.0, 55.0)0.082
Right ventricular function0.002
    Mildly/severely abnormal47 (0.9)28 (59.1)18 (38.6)1 (2.3)
Laboratory parameters (median, IQR) (N = 4330)
Hemoglobin, mmol/L7.9 (7.1, 8.8)8.0 (7.1, 8.8)7.8 (6.6, 8.7)7.5 (6.5, 8.4)<0.001
WBC count, ×10^9/L4.7 (0.0, 8.4)5.1 (0.0, 8.5)0.018 (0.009, 7.5)0.0184 (0.009, 6.9)<0.001
Platelets, 10^3/µL230.5 (168.0, 336.0)233.0 (170.0, 342.0)219.0 (157.0, 306.0)228.0 (154.0, 425.0)<0.001
ALT/SGPT, μmol/(s•L)0.60 (0.38, 0.97)0.58 (0.38, 0.95)0.65 (0.40, 1.11)0.63 (0.41, 1.09)0.003
AST/SGOT, μmol/(s•L)0.67 (0.47, 1.05)0.65 (0.45, 1.00)0.79 (0.52, 1.37)0.82 (0.53, 1.30)<0.001
Creatinine-conversion, μmol/L87.5 (70.6, 113.2)85.0 (69.0, 107.0)99.9 (74.3, 150.3)104.3 (82.2, 195.4)<0.001
Sodium, mmol/L137.0 (134.0, 140.0)137.0 (134.0, 140.0)136.3 (133.0, 140.0)136.0 (133.0, 139.0)0.10
Potassium, mmol/L4.2 (3.8, 4.7)4.2 (3.8, 4.6)4.3 (3.8, 4.9)4.5 (4.1, 5.0)<0.001
CRP, mg/L53.8 (17.4, 110.7)48.0 (15.7, 100.0)93.2 (40.2, 174.0)82.9 (21.5, 156.1)<0.001
ESR, mm/hr43.0 (25.0, 67.0)41.0 (24.0, 65.0)52.0 (34.0, 81.0)53.0 (40.0, 79.0)<0.001
Troponin, ng/mL1.0 (0.1, 9.0)1.0 (0.1, 9.0)0.1 (0.037, 11.0)20.0 (2.9, 32.0)0.007
Troponin T, pg/mL9.0 (0.5, 24.9)8.0 (0.6, 20.0)21.0 (5.5, 64.5)0.123 (0.014, 16.0)<0.001
BNP, pmol/L7.8 (1.5, 28.1)6.0 (1.2, 21.4)16.0 (5.1, 49.4)19.9 (2.2, 44.1)<0.001
NT-proBNP, pmol/L60.1 (12.1, 254.4)46.7 (10.3, 224.2)110.7 (34.3, 415.5)505.5 (285.5, 1641.0)<0.001
CK-Mb, ukat/L,0.24 (0.017, 13.0)0.23 (0.017, 13.0)0.47 (0.034, 19.0)0.049 (0.017, 0.613)0.001
Total cholesterol, mmol/L4.0 (3.1, 5.0)4.2 (3.4, 5.2)3.4 (2.7, 4.3)3.9 (2.5, 4.4)<0.001
HbA1c, %6.9 (6.1, 8.5)6.9 (6.1, 8.5)7.0 (6.2, 8.4)6.4 (5.9, 9.7)0.80
D-dimer, mg/FEU/L1.0 (0.4, 4.4)0.9 (0.4, 3.9)1.8 (0.7, 4.8)2.5 (1.2, 26.5)<0.001
Ferritin, μg/L514.1 (225.3, 1001.9)476.0 (197.5, 962.0)687.7 (350.3, 1365.2)656.6 (392.0, 1068.0)<0.001
IL-6, pg/mL25.2 (8.7, 64.7)21.6 (7.0, 52.0)65.8 (21.9, 125.0)36.0 (17.6, 133.5)<0.001
Urea (BUN), mmol/L,8.5 (5.5, 14.6)7.7 (5.2, 12.9)13.9 (7.9, 23.8)17.0 (10.4, 28.2)<0.001
PT (seconds)13.4 (12.0, 15.9)13.3 (12.0, 15.6)13.9 (12.1, 16.7)13.2 (11.7, 16.7)0.012
INR ratio1.1 (0.9, 1.25)1.1 (0.9, 1.23)1.1 (0.96, 1.32)1.1 (0.0119, 1.32)0.015

[i] IQR = interquartile range; mmol/L millimoles per liter; mg/L = milligrams per liter.

The Collaborator List

Four collaborators were inadvertently missed off the original list: L. Tetteh Appiah, Nabil Varwani, Lucky Rose Adika, and Humphrey Robert Guya.

The full, corrected contributor list is:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia: A. Issa, H. Cramer, C. Lamas, M. Paulino, V. Belidio, L. Sabioni, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hospital de Clinicas of the University: R. Pérez de la Hoz, J. Martin Aladio, M. Matsudo, S. Swieszkowski, A. Perez de la Hoz, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sanatorio Güemes: E. J. Zaidel, J. Perea, M. Ariel Oliva, N. Carboni Martinez, N. Bisso, L. Gheco, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dhaka Medical College Hospital: S. Talukder, S.Akter, M. Robed Amin, M. Ahmedul Kabir, M. Khairul Islam, M. Mohiuddin Sharif, K. Fayzus Salahin, S. Hossain, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt. Hospital: A. Rahim, K. M. Rubayet Anwar, S. Sajmin Siddiqa, M. Rahman, A. Hossain, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Specialized Hospital: A. Wadud Chowdhury, M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, M. Mushfiqur Rahman, U. F. Sultana, Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, University Clinical Center Republic of Srpska: B. Stanetic, I. Ovcina, B. Dujakovic, R. Tamburic, D. Vulic, R. Skrbic, Temuco, Chile, Hospital Dr. Hernán Henríquez Aravena: P. Figuero, F. La, C. Acs, S. Saavedra Bogota, Colombia, Clinica de Occidente: J Lugo-Peña, M. Ángel Zuleta, Cali, Colombia, Fundacion Valle del Lili: J. Esteban Gomez Mesa, S. Stephania Galindo-Coral, Maria Claudia Montes, Tbilisi, Georgia, High Technology Medical Centre: University Clinic (HTMC), K. Chelidze, I. Mamatsashvli, Kumasi, Ghana, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital: L Tetteh Appiah, Y. Hardy, J. Hutton, Accra, Ghana, Military Hospital: A. Toppar, Ludhiana, India, Dayanand Medical College Hospital: B. Mohan, M. Mennen, S. Singla, K. Jain, Ankush, Hyderabad, India, Apollo Hospital: V. Ram, G. Praveen Kumar, K. Subba Reddy, B. V. K. S. Sowmya, M. Rebecca, Hyderabad, India, Apollo Medical College: Jubilee Hills, S. Kuruvada, A. Nimmagadda, A. Begum, Jodhpur, India, P. Bhardwaj, J. Charan, S. Deora, D. Sharma, New Delhi, India, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS): N Naik, N Rai Jakarta, Indonesia, National Cardiovascular Center harapan Kita Hospital: D. Juzar, I Firdaus, B. Putra, M. Rayhan, Isfahan, Iran, Amin Hospital: Ladan Sadeghian, N. Sarrafzadegan, Khorshid hospital, Isfahan, Iran, Mohammad Hashemi, Kyoto, Japan, Kyoto Medical Center: K. Hasegawa, Y. Iida, Tokyo, Japan, Kitasato University School of Medicine: J. Ako, R. Kameda, Tochigi, Japan, NHO Tochigi Medical Center: T. Kato, Mombasa, Kenya, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital: E. Ogola, K. Mwazo, V. Vaghela, S. Mohamed, A. Abeid, V. Mumbo, M. Ali Mohamed, A. Ikbal Varvani, M. Omar, V. Karegi, B. Nduati, Swaleh, E. Gacheri, D. Anyanga, S. M. Mohamed, E. Gacheri Riungu, D. Anyanga, Nabil Varwani, Mombasa, Kenya, The Mombasa Hospital: S. Mohamed, E. Gacheri Riungu, D. Anyanga, J. Kamuyu Muriuki, K. Rose, Lucky Rose Adika, Humphrey Robert Guya, Guanajuato, Mexico, ISSSTE Clínica Hospital de Guanajuato: A. Puentes Puentes, Lagos Nigeria, College of Medicine University of Lagos, A. Mbakwem, Ibadan, Nigeria, University College Hospital: O. Ogah, O. Adekanmbi, O. Adebayo, Y. Oyebisi, O. Makinde, O.A. Orimolade, O. Makinde, S. Alabi, Sagamu, Nigeria, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital: F. Inofomoh, Ranti Familoni, Abimbola Olaitan, Victor Ayeni, Boluwatife Egbetola, Sindh, Pakistan, Tabba Heart Institute: S. Sheikh, H. Khan, Z Ahmed, S.F. Ali, R. Malik, Lisbon, Portugal, University Hospital Sta Maria: F. Pinto, D. Caldeira, S. Braz, J. Agostinho, J. Brito, H. Barbacena, F. Parlato, C. Carreiro, R. Soares, C. Gomes, A. Pinto Sousa, M. José Pires, St. Petersburg, Russia, Almazov National Medical Research Centre: A. Konradi, Z. Kobalava, Y. Yudina, M. Ionov, S. Verbilo, Y. Lavrishcheva, S. Bondar, Y. Khruleva Moscow, Russia, RUDN University, City clinical hospital named Vinogradov: L. Contselidze, Y. Khruleva, Kazan, Russia, Kazan Clinical Hospital, A. Galyavich, Z. Kim, Tomsk, Russia, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre, Asinovskaya Regional Hospital: A. Svarovskaya, A. Kuznetsova, Ryazan, Russia, Ryazan State Medical University, Ryazan Emergency Hospital: E. Philippov, Cape Town, South Africa, Groote Schuur Hospital: N. A. B. Ntusi, L. Chinhoyi, O. Briton, C. Viljoen, K. Sliwa, P. Singh, S. Mazondwa, M. Mennen, N. Williams, Khartoum, Sudan, Fedail Hospital: A. Suliman, Zurich, Switzerland, University Hospital of Zurich Hospital: F. Thienemann, V. Rossi, T. Studer, Atlanta, United States, A. Quyyumi, M. Prasad, D. Braun, Lusaka, Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa University Hospital: F. Goma, N. Mumba. ISSSTE Clínica Hospital de Guanajuato: J. E. Luna Cárdenas, G. Sánchez Loza.

Necessary Rewording for Clarity

Throughout the article, some sentences required rewording:

  • 1. In the ‘Data Collection’ section:

Each hospital provided the following information at the beginning of the study: estimated size of population served, total number of beds, number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, number of ventilators, number of cardiologists, availability of echocardiogram (ECG) and advanced care interventional and diagnostic capability (e.g., extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO], echocardiography [ECHO]), and number of COVID-19 patients admitted in the previous month.

Becomes:

Each hospital provided the following information at the beginning of the study: estimated size of population served, total number of beds, number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, number of ventilators, number of specialists, availability of echocardiogram (ECG) and advanced care interventional and diagnostic capability (e.g., extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO], echocardiography [ECHO]), and number of COVID-19 patients admitted in the previous month.

  • 2. In ‘Ethical Considerations’ the following sentence was added: ‘Mandated national regulatory clearances were also obtained.’

  • 3. In ‘Results’:

Non-survivors more often presented with significantly higher heart rate, lower diastolic blood pressures, shortness of breath and more frequently had hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, rheumatic heart disease, Chagas disease, valvular disease, and chronic kidney disease (Table 2b).

Becomes:

Non-survivors more often presented with significantly higher heart rate, lower diastolic blood pressures, shortness of breath and more frequently had hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic pulmonary disease, asthma and renal replacement therapy. (Table 2b).

  • 4. Further on in the same section, ‘ECG examinations (n = 3497 patients; 65.8%) indicated that 2.5% had atrial fibrillation’ was corrected to ‘ECG examinations (n = 3490 patients; 65.8%) indicated that 2.5% had atrial fibrillation’.

  • 5. In the ‘Discussion’ section, the following passage was reworded from:

Our analysis demonstrated a greater rate of in-hospital deaths, post discharge 30-day deaths and MACE among Hispanics, and Asian populations compared to Caucasians. Higher prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, renal disease and obesity among Asians, Hispanics, and other populations (such as Blacks and Middle Eastern populations) may play a role in the increased mortality and MACE in our cohort of COVID-19 patients.

To:

Our analysis demonstrated a greater rate of in-hospital deaths, and post discharge 30-day deaths among Hispanics, Asian, Blacks and Middle Eastern populations compared to Caucasians. Higher prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, renal disease and obesity among Asians, Hispanics, Blacks and Middle Eastern populations may play a role in the increased mortality and MACE in our cohort of COVID-19 patients.

  • 6. In ‘Conclusions’, the following sentence: ‘The key predictors of mortality or MACE outcomes were older age (≥60 years), male sex, Asian/Hispanic/Black ethnicity, pre-existing coronary heart disease, diabetes, renal disease, severe infection of COVID-19 requiring ICU admission, oxygen therapy and higher respiratory rates, but no significant association was found with hypertension or RAAS inhibitors.’ Was corrected by removing ‘or MACE outcomes’.

  • 7. In the ‘Steering Committee’ section, Karen Sliwa (study Co-PI), Dorairaj Prabhakaran (Study Co-PI), Pablo Perel (co-PI), should all have had the same role title of ‘Study Co-PI’.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Kavita Singh is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Centre, USA; Emerging Global Leader grant award number: 1 K43 TW011164. Dr Ribeiro is supported in part by Brazilian Agencies CNPq (310679/2016-8 and 465518/2014-1), by FAPEMIG (PPM-00428-17) and CAPES (88887.507149/2020-00). Karen Sliwa is supported by the Hippocrate Foundation and the Medical Research Council South Africa.

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/gh.1167 | Journal eISSN: 2211-8179
Language: English
Submitted on: Oct 3, 2022
Accepted on: Oct 3, 2022
Published on: Oct 31, 2022
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

© 2022 Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Kavita Singh, Dimple Kondal, Lana Raspail, Bishav Mohan, Toru Kato, Nizal Sarrafzadegan, Shamim Hayder Talukder, Shahin Akter, Mohammad Robed Amin, Fastone Goma, Juan Gomez-Mesa, Ntobeko Ntusi, Francisca Inofomoh, Surender Deora, Evgenii Philippov, Alla Svarovskaya, Alexandra Konradi, Aurelio Puentes, Okechukwu S. Ogah, Bojan Stanetic, Aurora Issa, Friedrich Thienemann, Dafsah Juzar, Ezequiel Zaidel, Sana Sheikh, Dike Ojji, Carolyn S. P. Lam, Junbo Ge, Amitava Banerjee, L. Kristin Newby, Antonio Luiz P. Ribeiro, Samuel Gidding, Fausto Pinto, Pablo Perel, Karen Sliwa, On Behalf of the WHF COVID-19 Study Collaborators, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.