Descriptions of target populations
| Target population . | Definition . |
|---|---|
| Critically ill | Patients with COVID-19 who develop respiratory or cardiovascular failure normally requiring advanced clinical support in the ICU or critical care unit (CCU) but could include admission to another department if the ICU/CCU was over capacity. ICU/CCU capacity and admission criteria could vary according to the specific setting. This does not include patients admitted to the ICU for other reasons who incidentally test positive for COVID-19. |
| Acutely ill | Patients with COVID-19 who require hospital admission, generally to an inpatient medical ward, without intensive clinical support (ie, not in the ICU/CCU) but may be treated in other settings if the hospital is over capacity. Hospital capacity and admission criteria may vary according to the specific setting. Some observational studies informing the baseline risk of critical outcomes reported on all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in aggregate had <20% in the ICU without separating their outcomes. Such patients were characterized as being acutely ill. |
| Postdischarge | Patients discharged from an acute care hospital after COVID-19–related critical illness or acute illness. |
| Target population . | Definition . |
|---|---|
| Critically ill | Patients with COVID-19 who develop respiratory or cardiovascular failure normally requiring advanced clinical support in the ICU or critical care unit (CCU) but could include admission to another department if the ICU/CCU was over capacity. ICU/CCU capacity and admission criteria could vary according to the specific setting. This does not include patients admitted to the ICU for other reasons who incidentally test positive for COVID-19. |
| Acutely ill | Patients with COVID-19 who require hospital admission, generally to an inpatient medical ward, without intensive clinical support (ie, not in the ICU/CCU) but may be treated in other settings if the hospital is over capacity. Hospital capacity and admission criteria may vary according to the specific setting. Some observational studies informing the baseline risk of critical outcomes reported on all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in aggregate had <20% in the ICU without separating their outcomes. Such patients were characterized as being acutely ill. |
| Postdischarge | Patients discharged from an acute care hospital after COVID-19–related critical illness or acute illness. |