Demographic Variations of MERS-CoV Infection among Suspected and Confirmed Cases: An Epidemiological Analysis of Laboratory-Based Data from Riyadh Regional Laboratory.

Asmaa Altamimi,Ashraf El-Metwally,Raghib Abu-Saris,Aref Alamri,Taghreed Alaifan

doi:10.1155/2020/9629747

Abstract

Introduction. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus was first recognized in September 2012 in Saudi Arabia. The clinical presentations of MERS and non-MERS SARI are often similar. Therefore, the identification of suspected cases that may have higher chances of being diagnosed as cases of MERS-CoV is essential. However, the real challenge is to flag these patients through some demographic markers. The nature of these markers has not previously been investigated in Saudi Arabia, and hence, this study aims to identify them. Methods It was a surveillance system-based study, for which data from a total of 23,646 suspected patients in Riyadh and Al Qassim regions were analyzed from January 2017 until December 2017 to estimate the prevalence of MERS-CoV among suspected cases and to determine potential demographic risk factors related to the confirmation of the diagnosis. Results Of 23,646 suspected cases, 119 (0.5%) were confirmed by laboratory results. These confirmed cases (67.2% of which were males) had a mean age of 43.23 years (SD ± 22.8). Around 42.2% of the confirmed cases were aged between 41 and 60 years and about 47% of confirmed cases had their suspected specimen tested in the summer. The study identified three significant and independent predictors for confirmation of the disease: an age between 41 and 60 years, male gender, and summer season admission. Conclusion The study provides evidence that the MERS-CoV epidemic in the subject regions has specific characteristics that might help future plans for the prevention and management of such a contagious disease. Future studies should aim to confirm such findings in other regions of Saudi Arabia as well and explore potential preventable risk factors.

Highlights

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus was first recognized in September 2012 in Saudi Arabia. e clinical presentations of MERS and non-MERS SARI are often similar. erefore, the identification of suspected cases that may have higher chances of being diagnosed as cases of MERS-CoV is essential
A respiratory viral disease caused by the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus (MERS-CoV) was first isolated in 2012, in a 60-year-old man who died in Jeddah, KSA due to severe acute pneumonia and multiple organ failure [1]
Recent data from World Health Organization (WHO) shows that almost 80% of the reported MERS-CoV cases have been in Saudi Arabia; a total of 1,983 cases, with 745 related deaths and a case-fatality rate of 37.5 [3]

Summary

Introduction

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus was first recognized in September 2012 in Saudi Arabia. e clinical presentations of MERS and non-MERS SARI are often similar. erefore, the identification of suspected cases that may have higher chances of being diagnosed as cases of MERS-CoV is essential. It was a surveillance system-based study, for which data from a total of 23,646 suspected patients in Riyadh and Al Qassim regions were analyzed from January 2017 until December 2017 to estimate the prevalence of MERS-CoV among suspected cases and to determine potential demographic risk factors related to the confirmation of the diagnosis. E study identified three significant and independent predictors for confirmation of the disease: an age between 41 and 60 years, male gender, and summer season admission. Future studies should aim to confirm such findings in other regions of Saudi Arabia as well and explore potential preventable risk factors. The largest outbreak of MERS-CoV, after Saudi Arabia, occurred in South Korea during the period between May and July of 2015, with 186 reported cases, 39 deaths, and a case-

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