Estimation Of Direct Medical Costs Of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection: A Single-Center Retrospective Chart Review Study

Abstract

Background

Among the countries affected by Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Saudi Arabia was impacted the most, with 2,058 cases reported as of June 2019. However, the impact of the MERS epidemic on the Saudi economy is unknown.

Purpose

The present study aimed to evaluate the direct medical costs associated with the management of MERS cases at a tertiary referral hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

The study involved a retrospective chart review of confirmed cases of MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections in a tertiary care referral center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2015 to October 2018. The collected data included sociodemographic characteristics, medical information, and the cost of hospitalization of each patient as estimated by micro-costing.

Results

A complete set of relevant information was available only for 24 of 44 identified MERS-CoV cases. Patients were mostly females, and the mean age was 52 years. Diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease were the most frequent comorbidities. The length of hospital stay varied from 1 to 31 days, averaging 4.96 ± 7.29 days. Two of the 24 patients died. The total cost of managing a MERS case at the hospital ranged from $1278.41 to $75,987.95 with a mean cost of $12,947.03 ± $19,923.14.

Conclusion

The findings of this study highlight the enormous expenses incurred by the Saudi health care system due to the MERS-CoV outbreak and the importance of developing an enforceable nationwide policy to control MERS-CoV transmission and infection.

Keywords:

• Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
• costs and cost analysis
• Saudi Arabia

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge financial support from the Researchers Supporting Project (number RSP-2019/16), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Also, the authors would like to thank Haya Al-Othaimeen, Mona Al-Salam, Somaya Alzahrani, and Prof. Edward De Vol for their data collection efforts.

Abbreviations

MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus; MERS, Middle East respiratory syndrome; SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus; WHO, World Health Organization; SFDA, Saudi Food and Drug Authority; USD, United States dollars.

Ethics Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the institutional review board of the College of Medicine at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (project number E-18-3008). No personal identifiers were collected and all data were coded to protect the confidentiality of the patients, in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Furthermore, the need for written informed consent was waived, as per the institution policy, since the study was a retrospective chart review and did not involve any patient interviews.

Data Sharing Statement

Study data are available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting or revising the article, gave final approval for the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.