The length of hospital stays and clinical and therapeutic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 early in the pandemic in Taif City, KSA: A retrospective study

Abstract

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unprecedented in the healthcare sector worldwide. This retrospective study focused on the length of hospital stay and clinical and therapeutic characteristics of patients with COVID-19. Retrospective data of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) positive patients were collected between March 12 and June 30, 2020, and categorized into mild, moderate, and severe disease groups based on symptoms and severity of COVID-19. A total of 843 SARS-COV-2-positive patients were identified in this study (mildly symptomatic, 132; moderately symptomatic, 168; severely symptomatic, 17). The mean lengths (days) of hospital stay of Groups 1 to 8 were 16.38, 13.18, 13.72, 9.30, 6.96, 10.86, 5.77, and 7.37, respectively. Treatment Group 1 had the highest mean. In the treatment group, 7 patients who were not treated had the shortest stay. The patients with heart failure and Group 1 received antiviral, antimalarial, and antibiotic therapy; patients in Group 3 received antimalarial and antibiotic therapy; patients in Group 4 received antiviral and antibiotic therapy were tended to have a longer hospital stay. The length of hospital stay and clinical and therapeutic characteristics are crucial indicators of pandemic management, a shorter hospital stay is a positive outcome of better COVID-19 management.