Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Covid-19 Positive Cases: An Exploratory Retrospective Study in a Covid-19 Referral Hospital.

Abstract

In late 2019, a novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, causing an atypical pneumonia- like illness. Scientists subsequently isolated the virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in January 2020. This highly contagious virus rapidly spread worldwide, triggering a global public health emergency. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic necessitates continuous evaluation of the characteristics of infected individuals. This study aimed to investigate the demographic and clinical features of patients diagnosed with Covid-19 at a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2023 and February 2024 at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital (UAMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study involved collaboration with the departments of Virology and the hospital's Covid Unit. Data were collected from the medical records of 200 confirmed Covid-19-positive cases admitted upon arrival at the hospital. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Of the 200 participants, the most frequent age group was 46-60 years old, representing 42% (84 patients). Males comprised the majority (73.0%, 145 patients), and most participants resided in urban areas of Bangladesh (86.5%, 173 patients). The socioeconomic analysis revealed that the upper-class category had the highest frequency (85.0%, 170 patients). Diabetes Mellitus (DM) emerged as the most prevalent co-morbidity (58.5%, 117 patients). Regarding clinical presentation, fever was the most frequent symptom (76.0%, 152 patients), followed by cough (47.5%, 95 patients), shortness of breath (SOB) (27.5%, 55 patients), and pneumonia (15.0%, 30 patients). Less frequent symptoms included acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), and chest pain. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were 126.61±14.58 mmHg and 77.24±12.44 mmHg respectively. The mean oxygen saturation (SaO2) was 93.39±5.53%. This study investigated that the most frequent age group was (46-60) years. The male dominant in Covid-19-positive cases. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) was observed as the most frequent co-morbidity. The common symptoms of Covid-19-positive cases were fever, cough, SOB, pneumonia acute respiratory distress syndrome, lower respiratory tract infection, chest pain, high blood pressure and low oxygen saturation.