Clinical Characteristics of Patients Infected with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iran: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was introduced by the World Health Organization as a pandemic and emergency for human health. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients infected with COVID-19 in Guilan Province, Iran. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 1,000 patients with a definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to six hospitals in Guilan Province, Iran, from April 13 to June 14, 2020. This study evaluated the patients' clinical information, demographic characteristics, laboratory results, and chest computed tomography scans. Findings: The mean age of the patients was obtained at 55±1.3 years, and the majority (n=800; 80%) of the cases were male. Furthermore, most patients had underlying diseases, including respiratory system disease (n=173; 17.3%), cardiovascular disease (n=711; 71.1%), and malignancy (n=146; 14.6%). The most common causes of the infection with COVID-19 included the presence in crowded places (n=733; 73.3%), close contact with the infected person (n=370; 82.2%), possession of pets (n=107; 23.2%), and family gathering (n=822; 82.2%). In addition, the most common clinical symptoms in patients included fever (n=911; 91.1%), cough (n=900; 90%), and dyspnea or shortness of breath (n=889; 88.9%). Other less common symptoms were diarrhea (n=160; 16%), vomiting (n=168; 16.8%), and headache (n=217; 21.7%). Dyspnea developed in 889 (88.9%) patients, and 660 (66%) cases had increased leucocytes. Conclusion: COVID-19 causes mild to fatal pneumonia in patients. Therefore, early detection and treatment of these patients are of utmost importance. Timely treatment of the disease can reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent the further spread of the disease.