ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2021
Risks of covid-19 hospital admission and death for people with learning disability: population based cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform.
Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
62 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Do people with disabilities experience disparities in cancer care? A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Screening for psychotrauma related symptomatology: Greek adaptation and validation of the Global Psychotrauma Screen.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- "Everything has changed since COVID": Ongoing challenges faced by Canadian adults with intellectual disabilities during waves 2 and 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of intellectual disabilities : JOID · 2026Article
- Disease burden of viral respiratory infections in people with intellectual disabilities: a scoping review.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Article
- Intellectual and Physical Disability and Risk of COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalisation, and Mortality: A National Cohort of 3.7 Million Adults in Scotland.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2026Article
- Vaccination in individuals with Down syndrome: immune vulnerability, safety, efficacy and opportunities.NPJ vaccines · 2026Review
- Disability-inclusive health systems & the quest for Viksit Bharat.The Indian journal of medical research · 2025Article
- Disability inclusion in the Brazilian health system: results of a health system assessment.Global health action · 2025Article
- Impact of Pre-Existing Disability on Long-Term Health Care Use Following Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Population-Based Cohort Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Article
- Factors influencing physical healthcare quality for people with intellectual disabilities: psychiatry multidisciplinary team perspective.BJPsych open · 2025Article
- Methods used to construct disability indicators in linked administrative datasets: a systematic scoping review.Population health metrics · 2025Article
- Anticoagulation management and outcomes in critically ill patients with acute mesenteric ischemia: an international study.Intensive care medicine · 2025Article
- How inclusive were strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for people with disabilities? Evidence from qualitative research in eight low- and middle-income countries.International journal for equity in health · 2025Article
- Regional COVID-19 measures and effects on subjective well-being in Germany: observing trends over time with data from a large population survey.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- NHS national data opt-outs: trends and potential consequences for health data research.BJGP open · 2024Article
- Bridging the gap: national virtual education programme for professionals caring for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at the time of COVID-19.BJPsych open · 2024Article
- Hospitalisation and mortality among privately insured individuals with COVID-19 in the United States: The role of intellectual disabilities and Neurogenetic disorders.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2024Article
- The mortality experience of disabled persons in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.Health affairs scholar · 2024Article
- An update of the reported effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on person with intellectual disability and their carers: a scoping review.Annals of medicine · 2023Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
36 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the association between learning disability and risk of hospital admission and death from covid-19 in England among adults and children.
designPopulation based cohort study on behalf of NHS England using the OpenSAFELY platform.
settingPatient level data were obtained for more than 17 million people registered with a general practice in England that uses TPP software. Electronic health records were linked with death data from the Office for National Statistics and hospital admission data from NHS Secondary Uses Service.
participantsAdults (aged 16-105 years) and children (<16 years) from two cohorts: wave 1 (registered with a TPP practice as of 1 March 2020 and followed until 31 August 2020); and wave 2 (registered 1 September 2020 and followed until 8 February 2021). The main exposure group consisted of people on a general practice learning disability register; a subgroup was defined as those having profound or severe learning disability. People with Down's syndrome and cerebral palsy were identified (whether or not they were on the learning disability register).
main outcome measureCovid-19 related hospital admission and covid-19 related death. Non-covid-19 deaths were also explored.
resultsFor wave 1, 14 312 023 adults aged ≥16 years were included, and 90 307 (0.63%) were on the learning disability register. Among adults on the register, 538 (0.6%) had a covid-19 related hospital admission; there were 222 (0.25%) covid-19 related deaths and 602 (0.7%) non-covid deaths. Among adults not on the register, 29 781 (0.2%) had a covid-19 related hospital admission; there were 13 737 (0.1%) covid-19 related deaths and 69 837 (0.5%) non-covid deaths. Wave 1 hazard ratios for adults on the learning disability register (adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and geographical location) were 5.3 (95% confidence interval 4.9 to 5.8) for covid-19 related hospital admission and 8.2 (7.2 to 9.4) for covid-19 related death. Wave 2 produced similar estimates. Associations were stronger among those classified as having severe to profound learning disability, and among those in residential care. For both waves, Down's syndrome and cerebral palsy were associated with increased hazards for both events; Down's syndrome to a greater extent. Hazard ratios for non-covid deaths followed similar patterns with weaker associations. Similar patterns of increased relative risk were seen for children, but covid-19 related deaths and hospital admissions were rare, reflecting low event rates among children.
conclusionsPeople with learning disability have markedly increased risks of hospital admission and death from covid-19, over and above the risks observed for non-covid causes of death. Prompt access to covid-19 testing and healthcare is warranted for this vulnerable group, and prioritisation for covid-19 vaccination and other targeted preventive measures should be considered.
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