Open access article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399690668_Risk_of_hospitalization_and_death_among_autistic_young_people_in_England_during_the_Covid-19_pandemic
Abstract
Autistic people experience increased health vulnerability and risk of premature mortality; the Covid-19 pandemic posed a serious health risk globally. The present study estimated risks of (i) first hospitalization, (ii) first hospitalization with a positive Covid-19 test, (iii) all-cause death, and (iv) Covid-19 associated death from 1 January 2020–31 March 2021 among autistic people compared to matched peers in England. Methods We leveraged National Health Service records from 45,756 individuals, including 15,252 autistic individuals, via the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Participants were matched 1:2 on birth year (± 2 years), gender, and general practitioner practice to 30,504 non-autistic people. The sample primarily comprised males and younger individuals, with a median age of 19.0 years (IQR = 12.0 years), which was expected based on the demographics of clinically diagnosed autistic people. For all outcomes, cox proportional hazards regression models were performed, accounting for matching criteria of gender, birth year, and clustering across GP practices. Additional models adjusting for matching criteria, as well as socioeconomic status, intellectual disability, obesity, alcohol misuse, and smoking were performed to assess risks of all-cause and Covid-19 related hospitalizations. However, due to perfect separation, it was not possible to conduct analyses for mortality that were adjusted for additional covariates (beyond matching factors), and Covid-19 related mortality modelling only assessed risk for male individuals. Results Autistic individuals had increased likelihood of all-cause hospitalization (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.22–1.42, p
Citation: Kennedy, Brigid & Weir, Elizabeth & Fysh, Matt & Tsompanidis, Alex & Payne, Rupert & Allison, Carrie & Matthews, Fiona & Baron-Cohen, Simon. (2026). Risk of hospitalization and death among autistic young people in England during the Covid-19 pandemic. Molecular Autism.