COVID-19 Morbidity Among Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Matched Controlled Population-Based Study.
Israel Krieger, Galit Erez, Orly Weinstein and 2 others
PMID 34240292WHAT IT FOUND
People with ASD had higher recorded COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates than matched controls.
This is a health-record comparison, not proof that ASD caused the difference.
Key findings
01The overall positive COVID-19 rate was higher in people with ASD than in matched controls: 7.1% versus 6.2% (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.07-1.27, p < 0.001).
02Hospitalization was higher in people with ASD than in matched controls: 0.2% versus 0.1% (OR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.03-3.61, p = 0.038).
03After adjustment, ASD remained associated with infection (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.25, p = 0.02), and with hospitalization after controlling for obesity (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.04-3.66, p = 0.03).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was an observational health-record comparison, so it cannot show that ASD caused the higher infection or hospitalization rates. The study did not measure possible reasons for the differences, such as masking, social behavior, school exposure, or ASD severity. ASD status came from registry codes and clinical impression, not from a study-specific validated assessment. Only 44 people were hospitalized, so hospitalization estimates are unstable and could not be fully adjusted for all risk factors. The data came from Israel during specific government policies and early vaccination timing, so results may not apply elsewhere.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher rates as proof that ASD causes worse COVID-19 outcomes. The study used health records, did not measure masking, behavior, exposure, or ASD severity, and only 44 people were hospitalized, so other explanations cannot be separated.