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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Jul 30;62(2):E329-E371.
doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.2.1946. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Age-related risk factors and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Mohammad Meshbahur Rahman  1 , Badhan Bhattacharjee  2 , Zaki Farhana  3 , Mohammad Hamiduzzaman  4 , Muhammad Abdul Baker Chowdhury  5 , Mohammad Sorowar Hossain  1 , Mahbubul H Siddiqee  1 , Md Ziaul Islam  3 , Enayetur Raheem  1 , Md Jamal Uddin  6
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Age-related risk factors and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Mohammad Meshbahur Rahman et al. J Prev Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of reported symptoms and comorbidities, and investigate the factors associated with age of the SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

Methods: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020182677) where the databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, WHO, Semantic Scholar, and COVID-19 Primer) were searched for clinical studies published from January to April, 2020. Initially, the pooled prevalence of symptoms and comorbidity of COVID-19 patients were estimated using random effect model and the age -related factors were identified performing multivariate analysis [factor analysis].

Results: Twenty-nine articles with 4,884 COVID-19 patients were included in this study. Altogether, we found 33 symptoms and 44 comorbidities where the most frequent 19 symptoms and 11 comorbidities were included in the meta-analysis. The fever (84%), cough/dry cough (61%), and fatigue/weakness (42%) were found more prevalent while acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypertension and diabetes were the most prevalent comorbid condition. The factor analysis showed positive association between a cluster of symptoms and comorbidities with patients' age. The symptoms comprising fever, dyspnea/shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, anorexia and pharyngalgia; and the comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, COPD/lung disease and ARDS were the factors positively associated with COVID-19 patient's age.

Conclusion: As an unique effort, this study found a group of symptoms (fever, dyspnea/shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, anorexia and pharyngalgia) and comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, COPD/lung disease and ARDS), associated with the age of COVID-19 infected patients.

Keywords: Age-related risk factors; COVID-19 pandemic; Correlation analysis; Symptoms and comorbidities; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram for the study selection process.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Group association of symptoms and comorbidities with age of the COVID-19 patients (Symptom Group: S1: Fever, S2: Cough/Dry cough, S3: Fatigue, S4: Dyspnea/Shortness of breath, S5: Headache, S6: Diarrhea, S7: Sore Throat, S8: Myalgia/Muscle Ache, S9: Rhinorrhea, S10: Sputum Production/Expectoration, S11: Chest tightness, S12: Chest pain, S13: Nausea, S14: Vomiting, S15: Abdominal Pain, S16: Dizziness, S17: Anorexia, S18: Pharyngalgia, S19: Haemoptysis. Comorbidity Group: C1: Diabetes, C2: Hypertension, C3: Cardiovascular Disease, C4: Coronary heart disease, C5: Cerebrovascular disease, C6: COPD/Lung disease, C7: Chronic liver disease, C8: Chronic Renal disease, C9: Chronic Kidney disease, C10: Malignancy, C11: ARDS).
S2.
S2.
Fever
S3.
S3.
Cough/Dry Cough
S4.
S4.
Fatigue/Weakness
S5.
S5.
Dyspnea/Shortness of breath
S6.
S6.
Headache
S7.
S7.
Diarrhea
S8.
S8.
Sore Throat
S9.
S9.
Myalgia/Muscle Ache
S10.
S10.
Rhinorrhea
S11.
S11.
Sputum Production/Expectoration
S12.
S12.
Chest tightness
S13.
S13.
Chest pain
S14.
S14.
Nausea
S15.
S15.
Vomiting
S16.
S16.
Abdominal Pain
S17.
S17.
Dizziness
S18.
S18.
Anorexia
S19.
S19.
Pharyngalgia
S20.
S20.
Haemoptysis
S21.
S21.
Diabetes
S22.
S22.
Hypertension
S23.
S23.
Cardiovascular Disease
S24.
S24.
Coronary heart disease
S25.
S25.
Cerebrovascular disease
S26.
S26.
COPD/Lung disease
S27.
S27.
Chronic liver disease
S28.
S28.
Chronic Renal disease
S29.
S29.
Chronic Kidney disease
S30.
S30.
Malignancy
S31.
S31.
ARDS
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