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Meta-Analysis
. 2016 Aug:49:129-33.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2016.06.015. Epub 2016 Jun 21.

Prevalence of comorbidities in the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Alaa Badawi  1 , Seung Gwan Ryoo  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prevalence of comorbidities in the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Alaa Badawi et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2016 Aug.

Abstract

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is associated with life-threatening severe illnesses and a mortality rate of approximately 35%, particularly in patients with underlying comorbidities. A systematic analysis of 637 MERS-CoV cases suggests that diabetes and hypertension are equally prevalent in approximately 50% of the patients. Cardiac diseases are present in 30% and obesity in 16% of the cases. These conditions down-regulate the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and impair the host's innate and humoral immune systems. In conclusion, protection against MERS-CoV and other respiratory infections can be improved if public health vaccination strategies are tailored to target persons with chronic disorders.

Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; Diabetes mellitus; Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV); Obesity; Systematic review.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Systematic literature review process. The flow diagram describes the systematic review of the literature for the proportion of comorbidities in MERS-CoV.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Meta-analysis of the proportion of comorbidities in MERS-CoV cases. Weights were calculated from binary random-effects model analysis. Values represent proportions of diabetes (a), hypertension (b), coronary artery disease/cardiovascular disease (CAD/CVD) (c), and obesity (d) in severe MERS-CoV cases and the 95% confidence intervals. Inserts within each panel show the total number of subjects analyzed (n) and prevalence (±SE) of the comorbidity (%), together with the heterogeneity analysis carried out using the Q test and the among-studies variation (I2 index).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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