The association of clinically relevant variables with chest radiograph lung disease burden quantified in real-time by radiologists upon initial presentation in individuals hospitalized with COVID-19

•Real-time quantified COVID-19 lung disease burden on presentation chest radiograph is a novel approach to lung disease burden collection.•An absence of opacities in COVID-19 may be associated with poor oral intake and a prerenal state.•An increased Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI > 5) was associated with non-severe chest radiograph findings.•Chest radiographs with disease or severe disease were more likely to have O2 impairment, lung or renal disease, and/or elevated respiratory rate.•Chest radiographs that demonstrated any disease or severe disease were more likely to have low albumin, high lactate dehydrogenase, and high ferritin.