The database under study included information on 842,025 adults aged 20 years or older with a test of for COVID-19. Of these, 3,600 (0.4%) observations were eliminated for not having information related to the diagnosis of NCDs. In this study we analyzed information only from cases with confirmed COVID-19 (n = 406,966). Out of them, 53.2% were men and 46.5% women). Women had a mean age of 45.6 years (95% CI 45.6, 45.7) and men 47.0 years (95% CI 46.9, 47.1).
Participants’ characteristics by sex are described in Table 1. The prevalence of NCDs was similar between sex. The most common NCD was HBP (20.6%, 95% CI 20.5, 20.8), followed by obesity (19.8%, 95% CI 19.6, 19.8) and diabetes (16.8%, 95% CI 16.7%, 16.9). Furthermore, 55.8% (95% CI 55.6, 56.0) reported not having any NCDs, while 25.9% (95% CI 25.8, 26.1) reported having one, 12.1% (95% CI 12.0, 12.3) reported having two, and 5.9% (95% CI 5.9, 6.0) had three or more. Over half of the cases were reported by units of the Secretary of Health (53.7% (95% CI 53.5, 53.8)), followed by IMSS 33.0% (95% CI 32.8, 33.1).
Table 2 shows CFR for COVID-19 for sex with NCDs. In the total population, the average CFR was 12.1% (95% CI 12.0, 12.2), was higher among men (CFR 14.6%, 95% CI 14.5, 14.8) than women (CFR 9.1%, 95% CI 9.0, 9.3). Trend analyses showed that CFR increased with age and number of NCDs (trend test p < 0.001). In women, the CFR was 1.2% in the 20-39-year-old group and 40.8% in the 80 or older group, while for men it was 2.6% and 47.9%, respectively.
When comparing the CFR according to the number of NCDs, in the category without NCDs, the CFR in women (3.4% (95% CI 3.3, 3.5)) and men (8.0% (95% CI 7.8, 8.1)), across institutions, the highest CFR at IMSS with 10.7% (95% CI 10.5, 10.9), followed by ISSSTE (9.5% (95% CI 8.9, 10.1)). In the category ≥ 3 NCDs, the CFR in women was (29.9% (95% CI 29.0, 30.0)) and men, (35.8% (95% CI 34.8, 36.7)), across institutions, IMSS with 44.0% (95% CI 42.9, 45.1) and ISSSTE (37.5% (95% CI 35.0, 40.1)). The trend test by number of NCDs were significant (p < 0.001) (Appendix 1, Table 1).
Figure 1 shows that CFR increases with the number of NCDs in a triple interaction (p < 0.01) with sex and age. Adults´ group 20 to 29 ages with ≥ 3 NCDs have a greater risk compared to without NCDs, in women (RR = 46.6, 95% CI 28.2, 76.9) and men (RR = 16.5, 95% CI 9.9, 27.3). Moreover, the risk among adults´ group ≥ 80 ages with ≥ 3 NCDs compared to without NCDs, in women 1.2 (95% CI 1.0, 1.3) and men 1.0 (95% CI 0.9, 1.1). The model showed in appendix 2 table 1.
The CFR for COVID-19 in men and women by number and all possible combinations of NCDs is shown in Table 3. For two NCDs, the combination with the greatest CFR was T2D + CKD (CFR = 44.0, 95% CI 39.2, 48.8); for three NCDs, T2D + COPD + CVD (CFR = 57.5, 95% CI 38.4, 75.8).
When categorizing by number of NCDs (from none to 6), and disaggregating by age group, a greater risk of mortality for older age was found in all categories, except for T2D + CODP and CVD + CKD combinations (Fig. 2). We did not see a specific pattern by sex (Appendix 3, Figs. 1 and 2).
Table 4, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 shows the CFR by age groups and for every disease (T2D, HBP, OB, CKD, COPD and CVD) and the presence of other NCDs. Figure 3a and 3b, show in younger adults, the T2D + no other NCDs increases the relative risk in women (RR = 12.5 (95% CI 7.1, 22.2)) and men (RR = 5.8 (95% CI 3.1, 10.9) from no NCDs, the T2D + 1 > = others NCDs increases the RR in women (RR = 19.9 (95% CI 12.3, 32.2)) and in men (RR = 14.7 (95% CI 10.8, 21.6)) from no NCDs. In contrast with age groups 60 and more, the RR is not more than 70%. This pattern is similarly in all diseases.