biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)McAlister FAMany health authorities differentiate hospitalizations in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 as being "for COVID-19" (due to direct manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection) versus being an "incidental" finding in someone admitted for an unrelated condition. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all SARS-CoV-2 infected patients hospitalized via 47 Canadian emergency departments, March 2020-July 2022 to determine whether hospitalizations with "incidental" SARS-CoV-2 infection are less of a burden to patients and the healthcare system. Using a priori standardized definitions applied to hospital discharge diagnoses in 14,290 patients, we characterized COVID-19 as (i) the "Direct" cause for the hospitalization (70%), (ii) a potential "Contributing" factor for the hospitalization (4%), or (Scientific reports6635https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10123574biostudies-literatureThe burden of incidental SARS-CoV-2 infections in hospitalized patients across pandemic waves in Canada.PMC10123574Clark GHau JHau JPWilliams NAtzema CStachura MKhangura JTaylor TNolet ASu KRowe BHuynh BDavis PLatiu VTaylor JIannuzzi DFraser JMartin ISwirhun ATaylor CWelsford MLandes MChen TKanu JRobert SHayward JMcAlister FABrooks SHohl CMArchambault PGraham LXue XCheyne MRosychuk RJMorrison LJelic TMackenzie KXu VLin KCanadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network (CCEDRRN) InvestigatorsHo VMcRae ARunham NGrant LDahn TChandra KNirmalanathan KMohindra RHayashi MNadeau ACompagna KWiemer HLanthier CTurner JClayton NFok PCheng IOhle RWormsbecker SAudet MTing DCragg AArsenault KYan JYeung JNichols JPerry JDeMone CHohl CMorrison LJCampbell SLobos SMercier EBraar BVandenBerg SGoss AMcRae ADSmall SScheuermeyer FBootsma TRuddell SLam KfalseThe burden of incidental SARS-CoV-2 infections in hospitalized patients across pandemic waves in Canada.Many health authorities differentiate hospitalizations in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 as being "for COVID-19" (due to direct manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection) versus being an "incidental" finding in someone admitted for an unrelated condition. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all SARS-CoV-2 infected patients hospitalized via 47 Canadian emergency departments, March 2020-July 2022 to determine whether hospitalizations with "incidental" SARS-CoV-2 infection are less of a burden to patients and the healthcare system. Using a priori standardized definitions applied to hospital discharge diagnoses in 14,290 patients, we characterized COVID-19 as (i) the "Direct" cause for the hospitalization (70%), (ii) a potential "Contributing" factor for the hospitalization (4%), or (2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Apr2025-04-22T18:08:28.092Z2025-04-22T18:08:28.092ZS-EPMC101235743709517410.1038/s41598-023-33569-2