Clinical characteristics of confirmed patients with COVID-19: A perspective from tropical region

Abstract

Introduction: There is a growing number of studies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but data analysis focusing on clinical characteristics in the tropics has not been widely carried out. This study aimed to analyze demographic characteristics, symptoms, length of stay, laboratory results at hospital admission, and the final outcome of infected patients in the tropics in confirmed COVID-19 patients. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed medical records including socio-demography, clinical manifestations, length of stay, comorbidities, laboratory data, and disease outcomes of 128 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with confirmed COVID-19 infection results. Existing data were compared using Fisher’s Exact Test or Chi Square (X2), determining the difference in the median value which was then assessed using Mann-Whitney. Results: The mean age of the patients was 50 years, the most common comorbidity was diabetes mellitus 18.8%, the most common symptom was dyspnea 36.7%. Conclusion: In general, studies conducted to analyze the clinical characteristics of confirmed COVID-19 patients show that the clinical picture of COVID-19 patients in the tropics is generally similar to previous studies. Older age, comorbid patients and patients with dyspnea may help identify a higher risk of death.