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. 2022 Jan;11(1):305-311.
doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1544_21. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Predictors of COVID-19 positivity among patients presenting to screening clinic in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital, in chandigarh, India - A cross-sectional study

Jenefa Persis  1 , Tanvi Kiran  1 , Kapil Goel  1 , Kirtan Rana  1 , Ritin Mohindra  2 , Bijaya Kumar Padhi  1
Affiliations

Predictors of COVID-19 positivity among patients presenting to screening clinic in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital, in chandigarh, India - A cross-sectional study

Jenefa Persis et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features of patients attending the screening clinic of a dedicated COVID-19 hospital (DCH), including COVID-19 RT-PCR test positivity rate, symptom predictors for COVID-19 positivity, the proportion of recovery, and the mortality among COVID-19 positive cases.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of the patients who reported in the screening clinic of a DCH. Data were retrieved from medical records. Step-wise binary logistic regression was applied to determine the symptom predictors for determining the likelihood of the suspects turning out to be COVID-19 positive.

Results: A total of 573 patients reported to the screening clinic were enrolled, and their median age was 36 ± 14 years. Of the total patients, 237 (41%) were females and 112 (20%) patients were COVID-19 suspects. Fifty (45%) suspects tested COVID-19 positive. The majority of the positives had complaints of cough, fever, and sore throat. Running nose (OR = 7.951) and history of contact with a COVID-19-positive case (OR = 169.9) were found to be statistically significant symptom predictors for COVID-19 positivity. All patients recovered with nil case fatality.

Conclusion: Running nose and history of contact with COVID-positive patients were significant predictors for COVID-19 positivity. In this pandemic state, patients who present with any of the upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms such as cough, sore throat, running nose, headache, and loss of taste/smell should be tested for COVID-19 for early identification and isolation to break the chain of transmission. The public should be encouraged to undergo COVID-19 testing if they develop any of the URI symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19; Case positivity rate; predictors; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart demonstrating the proportion of COVID-19 suspects and COVID-19-positive cases among the patients who reported to the screening clinic in the dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Chandigarh, 2020
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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