Efficacy of Bamlanivimab in Reducing Hospitalization and Mortality Rates in COVID-19 Patients in a Rural Community

Abstract

Objective In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between the monoclonal antibody infusion, bamlanivimab, and a reduction in 30-day hospitalization and mortality rates in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a rural community setting with various comorbidities. Methodology A retrospective data analysis was conducted over a 60-day period for patients who visited the Emergency Department of a community hospital. A group of COVID-19-positive patients who received bamlanivimab was compared with another group of COVID-19 patients with similar characteristics, demographics, and disease severity who did not receive the infusion. Data for 30-day hospitalization rates were analyzed using odds ratio for various individual comorbidities. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality. Logistic regression analysis and subsequent odds ratio estimates were used to adjust for demographics and comorbidities and evaluate for the association of bamlanivimab infusion with 30-day hospitalization rates. Results A total of 144 patients were included in the bamlanivimab group and 140 patients in the non-bamlanivimab group of COVID-19 patients. When analyzed by comorbidity using odds ratio analysis, 10.3% of diabetic patients, 6.1% of obese patients, 8% of hypertensive patients, and none of the patients with CKD required hospitalization at 30 days from the initial visit in the bamlanivimab group in contrast to 35.2% of diabetic patients, 38.1% of obese patients, 33.9% of hypertensive patients, and 63.6% of patients with CKD in the non-bamlanivimab group. Logistic regression analysis with odds ratio estimates showed that when adjusted for demographics and various comorbidities, bamlanivimab infusion was associated with decreased hospitalization (p < 0.001; confidence interval [CI] = 0.017-0.135). However, using logistic regression and taking all variables into account, among the evaluated comorbidities, only hypertension was found to be individually associated with decreased hospitalization (p = 0.0174; CI = 0.140-0.827) along with younger age (p = 0.0023; CI = 1.017-1.080) and female gender (p = 0.0077; CI = 0.212-0.789). We could not establish mortality benefit in the subgroups. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, there is an association between bamlanivimab use and reduced hospitalization rates in COVID-19 patients.