Clinical Features, Laboratory Characteristics, and Outcome of Patients Admitted With COVID-19 Infection; A Single-Center Experience

Objective: To determine the clinical features, laboratory variants, and outcome of patients with Corona virus Dis- ease-2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: A descriptive, single-center case series was conducted between October to December 2020. It included patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Patients were recruited through non-probability convenience-based sampling. After history and detailed examination of the patients, their demographic and clinical characteristics, including complete blood count (CBC), renal & electrolytes profile, inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, and D-dimers were recorded using a structured questionnaire. Patients were managed according to the severity of the disease and disease progression was monitored regularly. Treatment offered to these patients was based on their presentation and severity of the disease. Results:  Out of 1092 patients, 77% were males. Most of them were diabetic (71.0%) and aged between 51-70 years (58.97%). Furthermore, 1051 of the total enrolled cases were symptomatic and had shortness of breath (94.32%), dry cough (91.20%), anorexia (91.20%), fatigue (90.65%), and etc. Among the laboratory parameters, raised C-reactive protein (CRP) was found in 96.24% of patients while leukocyte count, Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), D-dimers, ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were elevated in 89.37%, 71.61%, 68.77%, 56.86%, and 44.04% respectively. Hyponatremia was also observed in 53.75% patients. Most patients (32.60%) had oxygen saturation between 80 to 89%, while it was   80% among 20.42% patients. Moreover, 31.05% patients were categorized as having mild disease, 23.68% had moderate severity, and 24.84% had severe disease on the basis of clinical criteria. About 20.42% were critical and had respiratory failure. The recovery rate was high (96.0%), and the mortality rate was only 4.0%. Conclusion: We observed dynamic changes in the clinical and laboratory features of the COVID-19 patient’s ad- mitted at District Health Quarter in Charsada, highlighting the significance of each of these parameters for individual patient’s recovery and survival.