ESRD patients experienced 8.7-12.9 excess deaths per 1,000 during early U.S. COVID-19 pandemic

An observational analysis examined excess mortality in the U.S. end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included a population of 798,611 U.S. ESRD patients and assessed excess deaths during the first 7 months of the pandemic (February through August 2020). The specific intervention, exposure, or comparator was not reported.

The main finding was an estimated 8.7 to 12.9 excess deaths per 1,000 patients. In absolute numbers, this corresponds to an estimated 6,953 to 10,316 excess deaths within this population during the study period. The effect size, statistical significance, and direction of the estimate were not reported.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported. Key limitations, including potential confounding factors and the methodology for calculating excess deaths, were not detailed. The funding source and potential conflicts of interest were also not reported.

As an observational analysis, this study identifies an association but cannot establish causality for the excess deaths. The findings underscore the significant burden of mortality in the ESRD population coinciding with the pandemic's onset. Clinicians should interpret these population-level estimates cautiously, recognizing they describe a correlation during a specific timeframe without elucidating specific causative mechanisms.