Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Design: Study design was a retrospective single-center review of hospital data.Setting: The study was conducted at the COVID-19 Treatment Center of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital in Accra, Ghana.Participants and study tools: A total of fifty patients with laboratory (rRT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 infection were involved in the study. A chart review of the medical records of the patients was conducted and the data obtained was documented using a data extraction form.Results: The median age was 53 years and most (36% (18/50)) of the patients were at least 60 years of age. Eighty percent (40/50) of the patients were symptomatic, with cough and difficulty in breathing being the commonest presenting symptoms. The mean duration of hospitalization was 12.3 ± 7.3 days. Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus were the commonest co-morbidities occurring in 52% (26/50) and 42% (21/50) of patients respectively. Fifty percent of patients developed COVID-19 pneumonia as a complication. The mortality rate was 12% (6/50).Conclusion: In this study, SARS-CoV2 infection affected older adults with hypertension and diabetes mellitus being the common comorbidities. Patients with these comorbid conditions should be counselled by their clinicians to strictly observe the COVID-19 prevention protocols to reduce their risk of acquiring the infection. There is a need to pay critical and prompt attention to the management of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia particularly among people with diabetes to improve outcomes.

Comparable Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Sputum and Oropharyngeal Swab Samples of Suspected COVID-19 Patients

“…This study showed that the presence of comorbidity and clinical symptoms have a direct association with disease status, as reported in several studies in Ghana [16,17]. The majority of the patients showed symptoms (64%), predominantly with cough, headache, general weakness, fever, and sore throat, among others; this is a finding similar to other studies [17,18].…”

“…This study showed that the presence of comorbidity and clinical symptoms have a direct association with disease status, as reported in several studies in Ghana [16,17]. The majority of the patients showed symptoms (64%), predominantly with cough, headache, general weakness, fever, and sore throat, among others; this is a finding similar to other studies [17,18]. It has been reported by Adjei et al (2020) that fever is the third commonest symptom seen in COVID-19 patients in Greater Accra (Ghana); however, in our study in Kumasi (Ghana), it was the fourth most common symptom.…”

“…The literature has shown that COVID-19 affects the elderly [17,[20][21][22] and, contrarily, the majority of suspected patients who tested positive in this study were in their 30 s and 20 s. This may be attributed to the design of the study, as most walk-in patients were young in age and/or because such age groups are more active and engage themselves in outdoor activities and social gatherings, making themselves more vulnerable to infection. This is in concordance with another study in Ghana, which attributed such an occurrence to increased outdoor engagement and decreased adherence to safety protocols by individuals of a younger age [16].…”

Social Networks in Limbo. The Experiences of Older Adults During COVID-19 in Ghana

“…Older adults with one or two comorbidities have a higher risk of being infected with COVID-19 and experiencing episodes of mortality (10)(11)(12). A preliminary study conducted on COVID-19 patients in Ghana showed that people with the most common underlying illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and chronic kidney disease were diagnosed with COVID-19 (13). This places older adults, particularly those suffering from diabetes and hypertension, at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 (14), resulting in an increase in stress, depression, and isolation during the peak of COVID-19 (2).…”

How We Have Treated Severe to Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Korea

“…COVID-19 treatment has a wide spectrum because the disease varies from self-limiting to life-threatening cases. 2 3 4 Therefore, the current COVID-19 treatment guidelines classify patients according to severity and recommend appropriate treatment for each patient. 5 Patients with mild illness are defined as individuals who have any symptoms of COVID-19 but who do not show evidence of lower respiratory disease, and patients with moderate illness show signs and symptoms of lower respiratory disease and SpO2 ≥ 94% on room air at sea level.…”