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. 2021 Aug 11;16(8):e0255999.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255999. eCollection 2021.

COVID-19 severity: Studying the clinical and demographic risk factors for adverse outcomes

Naila Shoaib  1   2 , Naila Noureen  1   2   3 , Rimsha Munir  1   4 , Farhad Ali Shah  1   2 , Noshaba Ishtiaq  1 , Nazia Jamil  5 , Rida Batool  5 , Mohammad Khalid  4 , Ihsan Khan  3 , Naser Iqbal  3 , Nousheen Zaidi  1   2
Affiliations

COVID-19 severity: Studying the clinical and demographic risk factors for adverse outcomes

Naila Shoaib et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: The primary goal of the presented cross-sectional observational study was to determine the clinical and demographic risk factors for adverse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes in the Pakistani population.

Methods: We examined the individuals (n = 6331) that consulted two private diagnostic centers in Lahore, Pakistan, for COVID-19 testing between May 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. The attending nurse collected clinical and demographic information. A confirmed case of COVID-19 was defined as having a positive result through real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of nasopharyngeal swab specimens.

Results: RT-PCR testing was positive in 1094 cases. Out of which, 5.2% had severe, and 20.8% had mild symptoms. We observed a strong association of COVID-19 severity with the number and type of comorbidities. The severity of the disease intensified as the number of comorbidities increased. The most vulnerable groups for the poor outcome are patients with diabetes and hypertension. Increasing age was also associated with PCR positivity and the severity of the disease.

Conclusions: Most cases of COVID-19 included in this study developed mild symptoms or were asymptomatic. Risk factors for adverse outcomes included older age and the simultaneous presence of comorbidities.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Description of the cohort.
(a) The total number of tests performed for the presented work upon doctor’s recommendation or self-motivation. (b) Percentage of symptomatic and asymptomatic participants reaching out for COVID-19 testing upon doctor’s advice or self-motivation. (c) Age-distribution of the cohort (d) COVID-19 new tests per thousand people (males or females) (left y-axis, vertical lines), and positive test percentage for males and females (right y-axis, stacked line) between May 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Effects of demographic factors on COVID-19 severity.
(a) The frequency of various reported symptoms in patients positive for SARS-CoV-2. (b) Age-distribution of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients categorized according to their symptoms, i.e., Asymptomatic, with mild or severe symptoms. (c) Symptomology in male and female patients (d) Symptomology in participants reaching out for COVID-19 test upon doctor’s advice, self-motivation, or as a traveling prerequisite.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Effects of comorbidities on COVID-19 severity.
(a) Symptomology in COVID-19 patients classified based on the number of comorbidities. (b) Symptomology in COVID-19 patients with diabetes versus the control group. (c) Symptomology in COVID-19 patients with hypertension versus the control group. (d) Symptomology in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular diseases versus the control group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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