Clinical Characteristics and Early Findings of Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged as a novel coronavirus and associated with the pandemic. In our study we observed the clinical characteristics, early findings, and its association with comorbidity.

Methods: A single center retrospective study was carried out in Mardan Medical Complex (MMC), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan from May 21^st, 2020 to June 30^th, 2020. Altogether three thousand, one hundred and fifteen (n=3115) COVID-19 suspected patients were included in the current study. Briefly nasopharyngeal swab, sputum and blood were collected. The viral amplification was carried out by qualitative RT-PCR using commercially available kit and routine laboratory tests of all the suspected patients were performed.

Results: Using RT-PCR total 19.8% (n=613/3115) confirmed cases of COVID-19 were observed. The majority were males’ patients. The most common comorbidity was type-2 diabetes (T2DM); 24.8% followed by cardiovascular diseases; 6% and T2DM with cardiovascular disease 3.1%. Among the infected patient’s leukocytosis was observed in 43% patients and 27.9% had abnormal findings on X-rays. The RNA detection efficacy from the sputum, nasopharyngeal swab, and blood specimens were 30%, 25.3% and 9.6% respectively. In total, 18.3% patients were critical, and 14.5% patients were on ventilator and the reported mortality rate were 5.2%.

Conclusion: Overall, the COVID-19 patients observed in our study was comorbid and asymptomatic or with mild symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Higher, RNA detection efficacy was observed from sputum.

Keywords: COVID-19, RT-PCR, T2DM, Clinical characteristics, comorbidity, Pakistan