Association of Socio-demographic Characteristics, Clinical Profile, and Intestinal Parasite Carriage with Disease Severity among COVID-19 Cases at St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between disease severity and demographic characteristics, clinical features, and prevalence of intestinal parasite carriage among patients with COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, involving 337 COVID-19 patients. Patient data were collected during hospitalization to assess clinical outcomes, including demographic information, clinical features, and associated factors. Blood and stool samples were collected and analyzed for hematological and biochemical tests, as well as the presence of intestinal parasites. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences v. 26, employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among the 337 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection through PCR testing, 96(28.5%) were found to have co-infections with one or more intestinal parasites. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients aged ≥ 60 years [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 3.943 (95% CI: 1.792–8.673), p < 0.001], elevated creatinine levels [AOR 2.254 (95% CI: 1.041–4.881), p = 0.039], increased glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase levels [AOR 2.219 (95% CI: 1.234–3.991), p = 0.008], decreased hematocrit levels [AOR 8.839 (95% CI: 4.914–15.900), p < 0.001], and co-infection with intestinal parasites [AOR 2.419 (95% CI: 1.278–4.579), p = 0.007] were significantly associated with increased disease severity in COVID-19 patients. These findings suggest a potential link between co-infection with intestinal parasites and a more severe form of COVID-19, indicating that parasite-induced immunomodulatory responses may hinder the essential immune response against SARS-CoV-2.