Clinical Characteristics Of COVID-19 Patients Research Articles

Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients and Risk Factors for Shortness of Breath: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh

Background: Exploring the clinical characteristics, and risk factors for severe complications among COVID-19-positive patients has been helpful in identifying the most vulnerable communities to which public healthpractitioners should pay special attention. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients, and risk factors for shortness of breath among COVID-19-positive patients in Chattogram, Bangladesh.Materials and Methods: Data were collected using a structured and facilitator-administered questionnaire among the COVID-19-positive patients (N = 408). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the predictors of outcome variables. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24.0.Results: It was revealed that at least one comorbidity was found among about half of the study participants,while the most prevalent symptoms of COVID-19 patients consisted of fever, cough, loss of taste, loss of smell, fatigue, and sore pain. In addition, Azithromycin is a more common treatment in our country. The multivariate logistic regression displays the COVID-19 patients aged more than 50 years (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.13-3.71) and respondents with cardiovascular disease (AOR = 4.60, 95% CI: 1.51-8.58) and the second wave of the coronapandemic (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.06-2.99) were reported as a risk factor for having shortness of breath among the virus-infected people.Conclusion: The findings explored an empirical and practical basis for exploring the risk factors for severecomplications of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, evidence from this study might play a key role in providingpolicymakers with research-based evidence in their continuous effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unravelling the connection between COVID-19 and Alzheimer's disease: a comprehensive review.

Currently, there exists a limited comprehension regarding the correlation between COVID-19 and Alzheimer's disease (AD). To elucidate the interrelationship and its impact on outcomes, a comprehensive investigation was carried out utilising time-unrestricted searches of reputable databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of various medical conditions on severe COVID-19-related events. We focused on identifying and analysing articles that discussed the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients, particularly those pertaining to severe events such as ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, pneumonia, mortality and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) a serious lung condition that causes low blood oxygen. Through careful data analysis and information gathering, we tried to figure out how likely it was that people with conditions, like AD, would have serious events. Our research investigated potential mechanisms that link AD and COVID-19. The ability of the virus to directly invade the central nervous system and the role of ACE-2 receptors were investigated. Furthermore, the OAS1 gene served as the genetic link between AD and COVID-19. In the context of COVID-19, our findings suggest that individuals with AD may be more susceptible to experiencing severe outcomes. Consequently, it is crucial to provide personalised care and management for this demographic. Further investigation is required to attain a comprehensive comprehension of the intricate correlation between Alzheimer's disease and COVID-19, as well as its ramifications for patient outcomes.

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in ABO blood groups

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in ABO blood groups

Demography and Clinical Characteristic COVID-19 with Diabetes Mellitus at the Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital

Background: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 can infect almost all age groups, however, the elderly and those with co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus can get worse complications from COVID-19. The study aims to find out the demographics and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus treated at the Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital. Method. This research is a descriptive study using retrospective data. The data used is secondary data taken from medical records. The number of samples that met the inclusion criteria was 37 people. Results. The majority of patients were dominated by the age group of 46-65 years (56.8%) and males (54.1%). The predominating clinical characteristics of COVID-19 with diabetes mellitus are cough (70.3%), shortness of breath (59.5%), and fever 51.4%. There was an increase in the laboratory results of COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus on blood sugar levels at admission, HbA1c, urea, creatinine, SGOT, SGPT, and d-dimer levels. The most treatment results were recovered by as many as 24 people (64.9%). Conclusion. The majority of patients are in the age group of 46-65 years and are male. The most common clinical characteristic is cough and there is an increase in laboratory results in patients

Clinical Characteristics of Hemodialysis Patients with COVID-19 Referred to Hemodialysis Centers Affiliated with the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences Between 2020 and 2021

Background: The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) seriously threatens the health and life of people with underlying diseases, such as patients undergoing hemodialysis. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis referring to hemodialysis centers affiliated with the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences between 2019 and 2021. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive-analytical study with a sample size of 144 hemodialysis patients with COVID-19. The data were collected by a demographic questionnaire, a checklist based on the presence of underlying diseases, the cause of the kidney failure, drugs received during hemodialysis, medications used for COVID, the result of COVID-19 treatment, and outpatient or inpatient treatment, and the checklist of laboratory indices extracted from the patient’s medical records. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 and descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Results: The average age was 57.2 ± 14.42 years, and 64.6% were men, 35.4% were women, 64.6% recovered, and 35.4% died, although 42.4% of patients were treated on an outpatient basis, and 57.6% needed hospitalization. Also, 93.7% of patients were vaccinated. The average duration of hemodialysis treatment was 6.44 years, and diabetes accounted for 31.1% of the causes of kidney failure, and these people had a higher chance of mortality. Positive c-reactive protein (CRP) results were found in 72.2% of patients, and 54.2% had a positive erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). In addition, 22.2% of patients used mechanical ventilation, and 88.2% had positive PCR results. Iron, ferritin, albumin, and hemoglobin index were lower than normal in all patients. Patients with positive hepatitis B antigens were treated with sofosbuvir. In outpatient treatment, 65.6% used remdesivir, and 70.5% used dexamethasone. Regarding inpatient treatment, 75.9% used methylprednisolone, 56.6% used tocilizumab, and 54.2% used pirfenidone. Conclusions: The rate of death and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 was higher than that of normal people. Diabetes increases the chance of morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients. The reduction of hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, and albumin weakened the therapeutic response of hemodialysis patients to COVID-19 and increased the chance of death. Although various drugs were used in the treatment of COVID-19 hemodialysis patients, the patients did not follow a single regimen.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in the least developed province Balochistan of Pakistan – an observational descriptive study

This study was designed to determine the epidemiological and clinical attributes of COVID-19 patients in the least developed province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The information was obtained from the daily situation report by the Health Department, Government of Balochistan, Pakistan. We investigated the reports of 4177 patients confirmed by RT-PCR tests. Demographic, epidemiological and risk factors data along with comorbidities and clinical signs were recorded. Out of 4500 suspected cases, 4177 cases were directed for the confirmation of COVID-19. A sum of 2177 patients was confirmed to have COVID-19 and 2000 individuals tested negative for the illness. Out of 4177 patients, 2000 patients recovered but 177 patients died because of COVID-19. In current statistics, most males were affected by COVID-19 as 3243 (77.69%) were males and 934 (22.36%) were females. A total of 90.81% of individuals had fever, 88.97% had a cough, 81% had body throbs, and 89.66% had a sore throat. Shortness of breath was observed in 97.06% and 44.09 % had comorbidity. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the outcome of patients was associated with gender and symptoms. The district Quetta had the maximum number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. COVID-19 cases and case casualty proportion are low in Balochistan. Whether this is because of failure to do more tests is still to be discovered. Males and individuals of older age are more impacted, and fatalities were higher in cases with co-morbid conditions. Balochistan has a feeble medical care framework and many asymptomatic cases, and needs more rigid screening activities.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients in Malaysia during the first wave: A multi-center observational study (COVIDICU-MY).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged with a wide range of clinical presentations; Malaysia was not spared from its impact. This study describes the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit, their clinical course, management, and hospital outcomes. COVIDICU-MY is a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 patients from 19 intensive care units (ICU) across Malaysia from 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020. We collected epidemiological history, demographics, clinical comorbidities, laboratory investigations, respiratory and hemodynamic values, management, length of stay and survival status. We compared these variables between survival and non-survival groups. A total of 170 critically ill patients were included, with 77% above 50 years of age [median age 60, IQR (51-66)] and 75.3% male. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, chronic cardiac disease, and chronic kidney disease were most common among patients. A high Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II score [median 45, IQR (34-49)] and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score [median 8, IQR (6-11)] were associated with mortality. Patients were profoundly hypoxic with a median lowest PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 150 (IQR 99-220) at admission. 91 patients (53.5%) required intubation on their first day of admission, out of which 38 died (73.1% of the hospital non-survivors). Our sample had more patients with moderate Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), 58 patients (43.9%), compared to severe ARDS, 33 patients (25%); with both ARDS classification groups contributing to 25 patients (54.4%) and 11 patients (23.9%) of the non-survival group, respectively. Cumulative fluid balance over 24 h was higher in the non-survival group with significant differences on Day 3 (1,953 vs. 622 ml, p < 0.05) and Day 7 of ICU (3,485 vs. 830 ml, p < 0.05). Patients with high serum creatinine, urea, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and d-dimer, and low lymphocyte count throughout the stay also had a higher risk of mortality. The hospital mortality rate was 30.6% in our sample. We report high mortality amongst critically ill patients in intensive care units in Malaysia, at 30.6%, during the March to May 2020 period. High admission SAPS II and SOFA, and severe hypoxemia and high cumulative fluid balance were associated with mortality. Higher creatinine, urea, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and d-dimer, and lymphopenia were observed in the non-survival group.

A Cross-sectional Study of Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients with Diabetic in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India

A Cross-sectional Study of Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients with Diabetic in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India

Risk factors of intensive care admission and mortality in a cohort of 111 Egyptian COVID-19 patients

ABSTRACT Background It is important to understand and identify the different clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in order to better understand the disease process and determine the various factors associated with poor prognosis and mortality. Methods Data from 111 COVID-19 patients were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The demographics, comorbidities, and laboratory test results of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were compared with those admitted to the ward. Additionally, data obtained from patients who were discharged after treatment were compared with those who died at the hospital. Results Patients admitted to the ICU were older and presented with significantly higher levels of ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), IL-6, c-reactive protein, and procalcitonin than those admitted to the ward. IL-6 level was an independent predictor of ICU admission. Likewise, the non-survivors were significantly older and had higher levels of LDH, d-dimer, IL-6, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and procalcitonin, and a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease than those who were discharged from the hospital; increased age and high BUN levels were the independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion This study identified high IL-6 level as a predictor of ICU admission and older age and high BUN levels as predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Clinical Features of COVID-19 Patients at Udayana University Hospital During First Three Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 exhibits a wide variety of symptoms, ranging from mild, moderate, severe, and critical respiratory dysfunctions up to death. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the demographic, clinical, and laboratory profile of COVID-19 patients admitted to Udayana University Hospital, Bali, during the first three months of the pandemic. Data were collected from the electronic medical records of 236 patients hospitalized from April to June 2020. The samples had a mean age of 40 years old, and they consisted of 58.50% male. Based on the records, the common clinical characteristics included fever (52.5%) and cough (47.5%), followed by less common traits, such as sore throat (18.2%), dyspnea (10.2%), flu (8.9%), and headache (3.8%). Laboratory results during admission showed an average lymphocyte count of 2.16 ± 2.19 × 109 cells/L and a neutrophil- lymphocyte ratio of 3.02 ± 3.41. The majority of patients were private corporation employees (30.51%), followed by migrant workers (21.19%). Furthermore, a fatality rate of 1.69% was recorded in the study hospital. These results were expected to provide epidemiological knowledge of COVID-19 patients, which can help clinicians to anticipate possible outcomes during treatment.

The Different Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients Between Pediatric and Adults

Background: In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) emerged in Wuhan, China. Objectives: The current research aimed to evaluate the clinical features of COVID-19 infection in pediatric patients and compare them with those of adult patients in Sanandaj, Iran. Methods: Retrospectively, 56 hospitalized cases, including 32 adult and 24 pediatric patients with COVID-19 from March 7th, 2020, to June 5th, 2020, were enrolled in this study. The clinical and laboratory findings of the pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection were analyzed and compared with those of the adult patients. Results: The average number of fever days in adults was higher than that of pediatric patients (P = 0.04). Cough was more severe in adults than in pediatric patients (P = 0.03). Diarrhea was not statistically different between the two groups. Dizziness was far more common in adults than pediatric patients (P = 0.01). The percentage of blood oxygen saturation decreased in both groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. C-reactive protein (CRP) was positive in many patients in both groups; however, there was no difference between the pediatric and adult patients. Lymphopenia was significantly higher in adults than in pediatric patients (P = 0.02). As in pediatric patients, an increase in liver enzymes was seen in adults. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: The present study showed that pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection have milder clinical symptoms than adults. However, according to the laboratory findings, pediatric patients need to be followed up as well as adult patients.

Clinical characteristics and laboratory testing of patient with Sar CoV2 infection

Background: Sar CoV2, a novel coronavirus was identified as the cause of respiratory abnormality diseases COVID-19. It has no specific symptoms and the transmission occurs via respiratory droplets or contaminated surfaces. Seroprevalence studies of many diseases have been found to be useful to detect people who were exposed to infection and reveal the burden of the disease. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the correlation between Clinical findings and laboratory testing of patients with Sar CoV2 infection as derived by RT PCR detection and to investigate serological antibody of IgM, IgG in serum of Covid19 hospitalized patients. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 168 patients with positive RT PCR for COVID-19 during June 2021- January 2022 in Khon Kaen Hospital. The nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were obtained on the day of admission. Data collection of patient’s clinical symptoms and laboratory testing were recorded for statistical analysis. We performed CBC and anti Sar CoV2 (IgM,IgG) according to standard laboratory methods. Results: The results indicated that seroprevalence of anti Sar CoV2 in COVID-19 patients was approximately 28% (47/168). The laboratory markers of CBC; as WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet demonstrated lower significance. No correlation was observed between Ct of RT PCR with clinical signs and symptoms of COVID-19 patients. In case of RBC, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit, there were also no correlation with clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The study observed that WBC count and platelet count was significantly lower for some cases. However, awareness of these parameters is required, because of the large heterogeneity in test performance. From serological tests it was observed that anti Sar CoV2 is not suitable diagnosis of the acute phase of infection. Both tests can be used to help RT PCR for diagnosis of Sar CoV2 infection.

Clinical features of COVID-19 patients with rebound phenomenon after corticosteroid therapy

RationalCorticosteroid therapy plays a key role in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure. However, a rebound phenomenon after steroid cessation rarely occurs. Here, we investigated the clinical features...

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients

Objective: The COVID-19 disease, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, soon affected the whole world. This study aims to examine the relationship between the demographic characteristics and clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients and mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study was done on the files of 671 dead or living patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized in Sinop State Hospital in Turkey from February to September of 2020. The demographic features such as sex, age, and comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, etc., and clinical symptoms of the disease such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, respiratory distress, weakness, head rotation, etc., were recorded. Results: The total mean age of the patients was 56.08 years. The most common symptoms were cough, fever, respiratory distress, shortness of breath, and the most common comorbidities were hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and COPD. There was a statistically significant difference between the dead and living patients in terms of sex (p=0.011, EXP(B)=0.429), cough (p=0.000, EXP(B)=0.137), and respiratory illness (p=0.000, EXP(B)= 15.526). There was a statistically significant difference between the dead and living patients in terms of age, number of additional illness, number of arrival complaint, length of stay in the hospital, intensive care hospitalization period, and number of medications used (p-values=0.000, 0.040, 0.000, 0.020, 0.030, and 0.000, respectively). Conclusion: As a result of our study, gender, cough, and respiratory tract disease were statistically effective factors for course of illness. In addition, there was a significant difference between living and deceased patients in terms of age, number of additional diseases, number of admission complaints, length of hospital stay, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and number of drugs used. According to these results, it has been concluded that COVID-19 patients with these factors should be followed more carefully.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Adults with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Complicated with Pneumothorax.

The major brunt of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-2019) is borne by the lungs. The major cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients is a compromise of the respiratory system. Pneumothorax is noted as an insignificant proportion of patients suffering from COVID-19, but it jeopardizes the clinical recovery significantly. We, in the case series of 10 patients, will be summarizing the epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients who also developed pneumothorax. All the confirmed cases of COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosed between May 1, 2020 and August 30, 2020, admitted at our center meeting the inclusion criteria and whose clinical course was complicated by pneumothorax were made part of our study. Their clinical records were studied, and epidemiological, demographic, and clinical data of these patients were collected and compiled in this case series. All the patients in our study required ICU care, and 60% received non-invasive mechanical ventilation, while 40% of the patients progressed to intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation. A total of 70% of the patients in our study had a successful outcome, while 30% succumbed to the disease and expired. Epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients complicated with pneumothorax were evaluated. Our study showed that pneumothorax also developed in some patients who had not received mechanical ventilation, indicating that pneumothorax could be a secondary complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our study also emphasizes the fact that even the majority of patients whose clinical course was complicated by pneumothorax had a successful outcome emphasizing the need for timely and adequate intervention in such cases. Singh NK. Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Adults with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Complicated with Pneumothorax. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(7):833-835.

COVID-19 outbreak in a psychiatric hospital: what makes it worse?

BackgroundPsychiatric patients could be at risk of worse outcomes from COVID-19 than the general population. The primary objective of the present study was to describe the symptoms and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients living in long-term hospital for mental illness in Lebanon. The secondary objective was to evaluate the factors related to COVID-19 disease severity among these patients.Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted from September 2020 to January 2021 at the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross. The total number of COVID‐19 patients in the infected floors is 410 out of 548. The outcome variable was the severity of COVID-19 illness classified into five categories: asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe and critically ill.ResultsThe rate of infection in the affected floors was 74.81%. Almost half of the patients were asymptomatic (49.3%), 43.4% had hyperthermia and only 28.0% had tachycardia and 25.1% developed hypoxia. The multivariate regression analysis showed that higher temperature (ORa = 6.52), lower saturation (ORa = 0.88), higher BMI (ORa = 1.12), higher CRP (ORa = 1.01), being a female (ORa = 4.59), having diabetes (ORa = 8.11) or COPD (ORa = 10.03) were significantly associated with the increase of the COVID-19 severity.ConclusionsThe current study showed that a high rate of infection from COVID-19 was detected in a psychiatric hospital with the majority having asymptomatic to mild symptoms. Female psychiatric patients, desaturation, increase inflammation and comorbidities such as diabetes and COPD were associated with the severity of COVID‐19 among psychiatric patients. Future studies are needed to better understand the causal relation of the factors with severity and long term effects or sequelae of the disease.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in Northern Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PurposeCOVID-19, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an emerging global public health problem. The disease is believed to affect older people and is accompanied by clinical features such as fever, shortness of breath, and coughing. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia. Thus, this paper aims to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features of COVID-19 patients in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.Patients and MethodsA total of 6,637 symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients collected from six isolation and treatment centers in Tigray between May 7 and October 28, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients as appropriate. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 31.3±12.8. SARS-CoV-2 infects men more than women with a ratio of 1.85:1. About 16% of the patients were symptomatic, of which 13.3% (95% CI=11.3–15.4%) were admitted to intensive care units and 6.1% (95% CI=4.5–7.6%) were non-survivors. The mortality rate was increased up to 40.3% (95% CI=32.1–48.4%) among patients with severe illness. A higher proportion of deaths were observed in men (73.2%) and 55.4% were in the age group of ≥50 years. About 4.3% (282 of 6,637) had one or more coexisting comorbidities; the most common being cardiovascular diseases (30.1%) and diabetes mellitus (23.8%). The comorbidity rate in the non-survivor group was significantly higher than in the survivor group (p-value <0.001).ConclusionThe proportion of symptomatic patients was low. Non-survival was linked with old age and the existence of comorbidities. The findings of this study can help in the design of appropriate management strategies for COVID-19 patients, such as giving due emphasis to COVID-19 patients who are old and with comorbidities.

WITHDRAWN: Investigation and analysis of cognitive function and psychological status in stroke patients with COVID-19

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Does the plasma vitamin D level affect the severity of infection in COVID-19 patients of different age groups?

Purpose: SARS-CoV-2 has caused an on-going global pandemic of COVID-19 disease. Vitamin-D has an immunomodulatory effect on the disease by suppressing the adaptive immune system which can lead to a cytokine storm, and boosting the innate immune system. This study evaluated the relationship between both the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients and the severity of their infections, and their serum Vitamin D levels. Material and Methods: Forty COVID-19 patients from the period April to July, 2020, and 46 healthy subjects from a similar period in 2019, were included. Serum Vitamin-D level, Clinical findings, comorbidities, chest computed tomography findings, hematological and serum biochemistry analyzes of the patients were evaluated. Results: COVID-19 patients had a significantly lower mean serum 25(OH) Vitamin-D level (12·86 ± 6·27 ng/mL) than healthy subjects (25·4 ± 12·7 ng/mL) (p<<0·001). The prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in COVID-19 patients was high, not only in the elderly, but also in middle age and young patients. Ground-glass opacification and paving stone sign were the most frequent patterns observed in chest-computed tomography (CT) images. There was a significant negative relationship between Vitamin-D deficiency and C-reactive protein (CRP) level (p=0·0243). In addition, a high CRP level was associated with abnormal CT findings (p=0·001). Conclusion: The authors conclude that determining the Vitamin-D level in COVID-19 patients and administering it at the appropriate dosage can reduce the severity and progression of COVID-19 disease by contributing to the regulation of the cytokine storm and pulmonary inflammatory response.

VEGF, IL-17 and IgG4 levels of patients with lung sequelae in post-COVID-19 period.

Although the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients have been described; the pathogenesis of the disease and its long-term consequences are still unclear. Pulmonary fibrosis is one of these late outcomes. In this study we evaluated Interleukin-17 (IL-17), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) levels of COVID-19 infected patients with different clinical course and their effect on pulmonary fibrosis in post-COVID period. In total, 90 patients were evaluated. Among the patients who presented for a control visit between 3-12 weeks after acute infection; patients with signs of pulmonary sequelae radiologically (traction bronchiectasis, interseptal thickening, disorders in parenchyma architecture) were classified as Group I (n= 32), patients who recovered without sequelae radiologically as Group II (n= 32). The Control group included healthy individuals who did not have COVID-19, and was classified as Group III (n= 26). The mean age in Group I was significantly higher than Group II and III (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between the VEGF and IL-17 values based on the patient group they are in (p<0.05). Vascular endothelial growth factor values of Group I and III were significantly lower than the patients in Group II (p<0.001). IL-17 values of Group I and II were found to be significantly lower than Group III (p= 0.005). There was no statistically significant relationship between groups in terms of IgG4 values. In our study, it was observed that the profibrotic effects of VEGF, IL-17, and IgG4 were not dominant in patients who recovered with pulmonary sequelae after COVID; therefore, it is thought that different mechanisms mentioned or not yet revealed may cause this outcome.