Title: Clinico-epidemiological profile of patients with covid-19 in a tertiary care centre of central Nepal
Abstract:
Introduction: The origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be traced back to December 2019 when clusters of pneumonia cases of unknown etiology were reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus, has brought unprecedented challenges to global public health systems. The rapid spread of the virus within Wuhan and its subsequent global transmission led the World Health Organization (WHO).
Objective: The objective of the study was to assess clinico-epidemiological profile of patients with COVID-19 in a tertiary care centre of Nepal.
Methodology: A cohort study was conducted among patients with Covid-19 positive at Chitwan Medical College. Covid positive patients admitted in Covid ward, Covid ICU and Isolation wards of Chitwan Medical College were included in the study. Ethical approval was obtained from NHRC. Total 348 samples were included in the study by using convenient sampling technique. A self-constructed interview questionnaire along with laboratory performa was used to collect data on demographic variables, comorbidities, personal habits, and major symptoms. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Result: The age distribution revealed a diverse representation, with young adults constituting 24.7%, middle adults 34.2%, and the elderly 41.1%. Gender-wise, males accounted for 54.0% and females 46.0%. Notably, 98.9% of participants reported being married. Symptoms included fever (81.0%), cough (75.9%), dyspnea (48.0%), and other reported manifestations. In the context of complications, 98.0%, 6.9% and 5.7% experienced respiratory complications, COVID pneumonia and renal complications respectively. In terms of outcome, 79.6% patients were discharged where as 20.4% patients encountered death.
Conclusion: Our study augments the understanding of COVID-19's heterogeneity within our population, offering insights that could guide targeted interventions and inform health policies.
Audience Take Away Notes:
• This study attempts to educate the general populace and all concerned authorities on the impact of the pandemic in the region
• SARS CoV2 continues to pose a threat to human race even after years of its outset in China. Observational studies from across the world have shown huge disparity in the clinic-epidemiological and laboratory features of this disease
• A knowledge about the disease presentation in each geographic area is important in planning the effective management strategies since the features are varied from place to place
