Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with COVID-19 during the second and third waves of the pandemic in Egypt

Abstract

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus that belongs to the coronaviruses and causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we explored the demographic details, clinical features, and routinely conducted laboratory investigations of patients with COVID-19 during the second and third waves of the pandemic to understand their possible diagnostic and prognostic values in Egypt. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, the demographic characteristics, detailed medical history, laboratory findings, and symptoms of all enrolled patients with SARS-CoV-2 were collected from the medical records of Beni Suef University Hospitals between December 15, 2020, and April 15, 2021. Results This retrospective study included 473 patients, almost all of whom were elderly. The median age of the patients was 48 years, and those with moderate and severe disease were older than those with mild infections. The proportion of females was higher (63.4%) than males (36.6%). Diabetes mellitus (DM) was the most common comorbidity (17.3%), and fever was the most typical manifestation of COVID-19 (62.6%). Those with severe disease showed a higher C-reactive protein level (CRP) than those with moderate (p-value 0.009) or mild (p-value 0.01) diseases. Serum ferritin levels were significantly higher in patients with severe disease than in those with moderate disease (p-value 0.018). In contrast, D-dimer and serum creatinine were normal and showed no significant difference in all comparisons (p-value overall 0.21). Conclusion This study observed several variations in COVID-19 patients’ characteristics. The new manifestations included skin rash, bone and low back pains, and rigors. In contrast to females, most males had moderate-to-severe illness. Old age and higher body mass index was associated with increasing severity. D-dimer and complete blood count were normal and could not identify potential COVID‐19 patients. Patients who had mild illness were still at risk of developing post-COVID complications.

The Effect of Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Hypertention in COVID 19 Patients

“…The most prevalent clinical symptoms in the sample were, in order, cough (20%), dyspnea (18%), fatigue (18%), and hyperthermia (17%). This is consistent with the severe COVID-19 symptoms that have been widely described in previous studies [16,17].…”

COVID-19: Clinical Assessment, And Prognosis

“…In contrast, the study in Lebanon did not demonstrate a 51% rise in the incidence of male infection compared to 49% for females [10]. Our ndings con ict with research conducted in Egypt, where 63.4% of the sample population were women [11]. A noteworthy consideration when comparing the incidence of COVID-19 between the sexes is that male mortality is reported to be 2.4 times higher than that of females in some studies [12].…”

“…High blood pressure, on the other hand, is the most prevalent one seen in hospitalized patients and those with COVID-19, according to a signi cant study conducted in New York City [19]. However, the percentage of COVID-19 patients who had a history of arterial hypertension and diabetes was comparable in the Egyptian and Turkish investigations [11,20].…”

A pre-vaccine exploratory survey of SARS-CoV-2 humoral immunity among Egyptian general population

“…According to a review article, the demographic details, clinical characteristics, and laboratory findings of Egyptian patients with COVID-19 showed variation between the first, second, and third waves regarding the incidence rate, the number of infected patients, and the hospitalization rates as well as some variations in patient characteristics [ 18 ]. In Egypt, Gomaa et al followed up 1598 healthy participants for seven months (during the first wave of COVID-19 in Egypt) for the development of COVID-19, and the incidence of PCR-confirmed infection was 6.9% which is much higher than our rate (1.4%).…”