Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Comprehensive Review of Clinical Presentation

Abstract

COVID-19 is a rapidly growing pandemic with its first case identified during December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Due to the rampant rise in the number of cases in China and globally, WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. The disease is transmitted via respiratory droplets of infected patients during coughing or sneezing and affects primarily the lung parenchyma. The spectrum of clinical manifestations can be seen in COVID-19 patients ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe disease resulting in mortality. Although respiratory involvement is most common in COVID-19 patients, the virus can affect other organ systems as well. The systemic inflammation induced by the disease along with multisystem expression of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor which allows viral entry into cells, explains the manifestation of extra-pulmonary symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, hematological, renal, musculoskeletal, and endocrine system. Here, we have reviewed the extensive literature available on COVID-19 about various clinical presentations based on the organ system involved as well as clinical presentation in specific population including children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised patients. We have also briefly discussed about the Multisystemic Inflammatory Syndrome occurring in children and adults with COVID-19. Understanding the various clinical presentations can help clinicians diagnose COVID-19 in an early stage and ensure appropriate measures to be undertaken in order to prevent further spread of the disease.

Keywords: Covid-19; SARS-CoV-2; clinical features; clinical presentation; coronavirus; signs and symptoms; symptomatology.