each covid hospitalization costs almost $23,000: cihi

cihi released data on hospitalization and er visits across canada in 2020.

by monika warzecha

mar 25 2021

2 minute read

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each covid hospitalization costs almost $23,000: cihi

cihi looked at hospitalizations and emergency department visits in all regions except quebec. getty

the covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the health of canadians, as well as the healthcare system; new data suggests that the average estimated cost of a serious infection comes to almost $23,000 per hospital stay. that’s about four times the price of a non-covid-19 hospitalization.

the data, which tracked hospital and emergency department visits from january to november 2020 in all regions, except quebec, was released by the canadian institute for health information (cihi) on thursday. it indicates that the $23,000 price tag rises to an average of $50,000 when the covid patient is admitted into an intensive care unit (icu).

among those infected with the virus, nearly a quarter, or 23 per cent, of those hospitalized were admitted into an icu, with 60 per cent of those in intensive care receiving ventilation. about 30 per cent in the icu died in hospital.

the data is also in line with previous reports that say the pandemic has exacerbated health inequities. in a news release, cihi states that “patients from the least-affluent neighbourhoods accounted for the highest number and percentage of covid-19 hospitalizations and [emergency department] visits.” a closer look at income quintiles suggests that the least affluent accounted for about 30 per cent of virus hospitalizations in canada, while 12 per cent of hospitalizations were among the most affluent.

here’s a look at some of the other findings:

about 90 per cent of emergency department visits were completed within 14 hours. for those who were hospitalized, the average stay was about 15 days.
roughly 57 per cent of patients admitted to the hospital were discharged home, while 19 per cent died in facility.
those who lived after their hospital stay tended to be younger, with a median age of 63. patients who died in hospital were older, with a median age of 81.
hospital deaths for men were slightly higher than women at 20 per cent compared to 18 per cent.

for a closer look at the findings, cihi also included regional data in the statistics they made available .

with file from the canadian press.

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each covid hospitalization costs almost $23,000: cihi

cihi released data on hospitalization and er visits across canada in 2020.

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each covid hospitalization costs almost $23,000: cihi

cihi released data on hospitalization and er visits across canada in 2020.

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