The hidden factor in COVID-19 rehabilitation: how does the microenvironment in mobile cabin hospitals impact patient recovery? An observational study

Abstract

Backgrounds: Existing studies on the treatment of emergency infectious diseases have primarily focused on the pathogen and the human immune system. However, human health is intricately connected to environmental factors, and this interaction becomes particularly during large-scale public health emergencies. Few studies have examined the impact of spatial differences in the microenvironment on the rehabilitation rate of patients with the Omicron variant infection. Objective: This study employs causal inference statistical methods and spatial analysis to investigate how the hospital microenvironment affects the rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients in a mobile cabin hospital, so as to provide a scientific basis for the spatial arrangement of patients in mobile cabin hospitals. Design: Observational study. Methods: This study used the clinical information of 6291 patients admitted in a mobile cabin hospital in Shanghai, from April 9 to May 9, 2022, during the pandemic. Exploratory spatial data analysis and fixed-effects regression analysis were conducted to understand whether the microenvironment around the patients’ beds in the cabin impacted their rehabilitation. Results: The results indicate that the rehabilitation condition of patients is affected by spatial differences of microenvironment. Both the mean and minimum CT values of the surrounding patients show a significant positive correlation with the rehabilitation of patients. The further the distance from the vent is, the more the rehabilitation speed of the patients is affected by the CT values of the surrounding patients. Conclusion: These findings offer valuable insights for bed allocation, patients’ stratification and management, and ventilation management in the mobile cabin hospitals during public health emergencies.