Hospital mortality: A buffer zone in the era of COVID-19

A buffer unit dedicated to suspected COVID-19 patients has been created in our healthcare facility in order to optimize hospital management of patients prior to confirmation of SARS-Cov2 infection and thus reduce mortality related to SARS-Co2 infection or other differential diagnoses. This is a retrospective study including patients who died in a buffer zone for suspected COVID-19 infection, with progression to death during the period January 20, 2021 to January 20, 2022. A total of 1,039 patients were hospitalized for suspected COVID-19, of whom 32 (3%) died. The mean age of the included population was 72 ± 14 years. Comorbidities were dominated by arterial hypertension (50%) and diabetes (15.6%). The main functional signs were fever (76.2%) and dyspnoea (71.4%). 84.4% of deceased patients were confirmed as COVID-19, with severe forms on admission in 72.4% of cases. For non-COVID-19 patients, death was mainly due to neurological distress or cardiogenic shock.