The COVID-19 epidemic has strained healthcare systems globally. Effective patient care and public health policies need understanding COVID-19 mortality variables. This research examines how demographics, comorbidities, cytokine parameters, and hospitalization time affect COVID-19 mortality. The research retrospectively examined 100 Iraqi COVID-19 patients in 2021. Data from Medical City Hospital and Al-Kadhimiya Hospital were analyzed using SPSS and Excel. Study participants were of various ages and genders. The 2021 COVID-19 death rate was 22%, depending on age, gender, and comorbidities. Out of persons aged ≤30 (n=9), 22.2% died from the illness. In the 31-40 age range (n=24), 25.0% died. The 41-50 age group (n=15) had a 40.0% death rate. In the 51-60 age range (n=27), 25.9% died. The 61-70 age group (n=18) had a 5.6% death rate. No one over 70 (n=7) died. The age of patients, but not gender, are significantly associated with mortality. Among the parameters analyzed, ferritin, D-dimer, lymphocytes, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) levels showed significant differences between the deceased and alive groups (p-value <0.05). Comorbidity analysis demonstrated that cardiovascular diseases, malignancy, kidney diseases, and bacterial infections were significantly associated with higher mortality rates in COVID-19 patients, while liver disease, diabetes mellitus (DM), and hypertension (HT) did not show significant associations. IL6, IL10, and IL12 cytokines levels differed significantly between died and surviving patients. Elevated levels of these interleukins were associated with increased mortality risk, while TNF-a levels showed no significant difference.

Keywords: COVID-19, Mortality, Cytokines, comorbidities, 2021.