COVID-19 Clinical Outcomes and Nationality: Results from a Nationwide Registry in Kuwait

The study from Kuwait, involving 1,123 COVID-19 positive patients, found significant disparities in health outcomes between Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti nationals. Non-Kuwaitis had a two-fold increase in the odds of death or ICU admission (OR: 2.14), as well as higher odds of developing ARDS (OR: 2.44) and pneumonia (OR: 2.24). The research suggested that these differences were likely due to socioeconomic and environmental factors, rather than biological differences, with non-Kuwaitis often being migrant workers in poorer conditions. The study called for public health interventions to address these disparities and improve conditions for migrant workers, despite limitations such as missing data on socioeconomic status, smoking, BMI, and neighborhood characteristics like air pollution.