The Association between ADHD and the Severity of COVID-19 Infection. Issue 4 (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Merzon, Eugene; Weiss, Margaret D.; Cortese, Samuele; Rotem, Ann; Schneider, Tzipporah; Craig, Stephanie G.; Vinker, Shlomo; Golan Cohen, Avivit; Green, Ilan; Ashkenazi, Shai; Weizman, Abraham; Manor, Iris
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 26:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 491
• Page End: 501
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: ADHD -- COVID-19 -- symptom severity -- referral to hospitalization; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/10870547211003659
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective: Patients with ADHD are at increased risk of acquiring COVID-19. The present study assessed the possibility that ADHD also increases the risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Method: We assessed 1, 870 COVID-19 positive patients, aged 5 to 60 years, registered in the database of Leumit Health Services (LHS, Israel), February to -June 2020, of whom 231 with ADHD. Logistic regression analysis models evaluated the association between ADHD and the dependent variables of being symptomatic/referral to hospitalization, controlling for demographic and medical variables. Results: Age, male sex, and BMI were confirmed to be significant risk factors for increased COVID-19 severity. ADHD was found to be associated with increased severity of COVID-19 symptoms ( OR = 1.81, 95% CI [1.29, 2.52], p < .05) and referral to hospitalization ( OR =1.93, 95% CI [1.06, 3.51], p = .03). Conclusion: ADHD is associated with poorer outcomes in COVID-19 infection.