METHODS: A cross-sectional study was used to investigate how COVID-19 impacted health and medical costs in China. Data were derived from a subdivision of the Centers for Disease control and Prevention of China.
METHODS: We prospectively collected information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the designated hospitals to determine the cost of public health care and hospitalisation due to COVID-19. We estimated the resource use and direct medical costs associated with public health.
RESULTS: The average costs, per case, for specimen collection and nucleic acid testing (NAT [specifically, polymerase chain reaction {PCR}]) in low-risk populations were $29.49 and $53.44, respectively; however, the average cost of NAT in high-risk populations was $297.94 per capita. The average costs per 1000 population for epidemiological surveys, disinfectant, health education and centralised isolation were $49.54, $247.01, $90.22 and $543.72, respectively. A single hospitalisation for COVID-19 in China cost a median of $2158.06 ($1961.13-$2325.65) in direct medical costs incurred only during hospitalisation, whereas the total costs associated with hospitalisation of patients with COVID-19 were estimated to have reached nearly $373.20 million in China as of 20, May, 2020. The cost of public health care associated with COVID-19 as of 20, May, 2020 ($6.83 billion) was 18.31 times that of hospitalisation.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the magnitude of resources needed to treat patients with COVID-19 and control the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures implemented by the Chinese government have been valuable in reducing the infection rate and may be cost-effective ways to control emerging infectious diseases.
方法:一项横断面研究用于调查COVID-19如何影响中国的健康和医疗费用。数据来自中国疾病预防控制中心的一个分支。
方法:我们前瞻性地收集了疾病控制和预防中心和指定医院的信息,以确定因COVID-19而导致的公共医疗保健和住院费用。我们估计了与公共卫生相关的资源使用和直接医疗费用。
结果:平均成本,每个案例,用于样本收集和核酸测试(NAT[特别是,低风险人群的聚合酶链反应{PCR}])分别为29.49美元和53.44美元;然而,在高危人群中,NAT的平均费用为人均297.94美元.流行病学调查每1000人的平均费用,消毒剂,健康教育和集中隔离分别为49.54美元,247.01美元,90.22美元和543.72美元。在中国,COVID-19的单次住院仅在住院期间发生的直接医疗费用中位数为2158.06美元(1961.13-2325.65美元),而截至5月20日,中国与COVID-19患者住院相关的总费用估计已达到近3.720亿美元,2020年。截至5月20日,与COVID-19相关的公共医疗保健费用,2020年(68.3亿美元)是住院的18.31倍。
结论:这项研究强调了治疗COVID-19患者和控制COVID-19大流行所需的大量资源。中国政府实施的公共卫生措施对降低感染率很有价值,可能是控制新发传染病的经济有效方法。