Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at the Sharee Zedek
Medical Center (SZMC) University Hospital located in Jerusalem, Israel.
We reviewed the hospital records of all consecutive adult patients
hospitalized over a four-month span (March 2019 to June 2019) at SZMC.
Included were adult patients (≥ 18 years) hospitalized for COVID-19
infection for whom the baseline liver function tests up to one year
prior to the admission were available. Subjects who were less than 18
years of age and medical personnel or for whom the baseline liver
function tests were not available were excluded. The study cohort
included patients hospitalized in the specialized COVID-19 hospitalized
wards and COVID-19 specialized intensive care unit. The diagnosis of
COVID-19 infection was based on positive PCR nasopharyngeal swab
specimen tested for SARS-CoV-2.
The current study received ethical approval from the local hospital
ethical committee and was conducted according to the Helsinki
declaration and its subsequent amendments. Data were coded in order to
preserve the anonymity of the patients. Informed consent was waived
because of the non-interventional study design.