Epidemiology, clinical characteristics and risk factors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Casablanca

Abstract

This is an analytical cross-sectional study of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on data collected between 1 November 2020 and 31 March 2021 in Casablanca focusing on the disease’s epidemiological status and risk factors. A total of 4569 samples were collected and analysed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); 967 patients were positive, representing a prevalence of 21.2 % for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mean age was 47.5±18 years, and infection was more common in young adults (<60 years). However, all age groups were at risk of COVID-19, and in terms of disease severity, the elderly were at greater risk because of potential underlying health problems. Among the clinical signs reported in this study, loss of taste and/or smell, fever, cough and fatigue were highly significant predictors of a positive COVID-19 test result (P<0.001). An assessment of the reported symptoms revealed that 27 % of COVID-19-positive patients (n=261) experienced loss of taste and/or smell, whereas only 2 % (n=72) of COVID-19-negative patients did (P<0.001). This result was consistent between univariate (OR=18.125) and multivariate (adjusted OR=10.484) logistic regression analyses, indicating that loss of taste and/or smell is associated with a more than 10-fold higher multivariate adjusted probability of a positive COVID-19 test (adjusted OR=10.48; P<0.001). Binary logistic regression model analysis based on clinical signs revealed that loss of taste and/or smell had a performance index of 0.846 with a P<0.001, confirming the diagnostic utility of this symptom for the prediction of COVID-19-positive status. In conclusion, symptom evaluation and a RT-PCR [taking into account cycle threshold (C t) values of the PCR proxy] test remain the most useful screening tools for diagnosing COVID-19. However, loss of taste/smell, fatigue, fever and cough remain the strongest independent predictors of a positive COVID-19 result.

COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiz Governorate, Yemen, between 2020-2023

“…The age groups 25-34 had the highest proportion of COVID-19 cases (22.9%), while those aged ≤ 5 years (0.1%) had the lowest rate. These results were different from a study that found more cases of COVID-19 cases were more prevalent in the older people than the younger people [15,[19][20]. On the contrary, a study by Sallam et al [13] found a higher rate of COVID-19 cases among the age group of subjects aged 19-49 years.…”

“…Similar reports have been conducted in different countries in the world showing COVID-19 infections are more in males than females [15][16][17][18][19]. These data were in disagreement with the results of several studies [11,14,20].…”

The Outbreak of COVID-19 in Southern Yemen, April 2020 to December 2022

“…Morocco [15] In terms of the year of infection, 2021 was reported to have the highest rate of COVID-19 infection at 67.44%. This result is in agreement with recent studies [21][22].…”

“…Similarly, many studies have been conducted in different regions and have shown that males are more likely to develop COVID-19 than females [11][12][13][14]. In contrast, some reports found that females had a higher number of cases than males [7,10,15] Regarding age group, the current results indicated that the burden of COVID-19 increased with increasing age of individuals, and the highest rate was among those aged ≥ 65 years, while the lowest was among children aged ≤ 5 years. This nding is in agreement with other studies in Indonesia [13], France [14],…”

Impact and prevalence of comorbidities and complications on the severity of COVID-19 in association with age, gender, obesity, and pre-existing smoking: A meta-analysis

“…Our analysis has shown that the association between age, gender (male), obesity, and smoking status appeared with numerous comorbidities as risk factors for severe COVID-19 [ 47 , 48 ]. Indeed, several studies have reported that advanced age is associated with the severity of COVID-19, primarily due to physiological changes accompanying aging, a weakened immune system and underlying health issues [ 7 , 49 , 50 ]. In agreement with these studies, the advanced age of patients in our study appeared strongly as a potential risk factor associated with the severe form of COVID-19 compared to non-severe COVID-19 patients (SMD = 0.62; OR = 3.06, P < 0.001), and the result was statistically significant.…”