Demographic & clinical profile of patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary care hospital in north India.

Background & objectives The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a major public health emergency affecting the healthcare services all over the world. It is essential to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 in different parts of our country. This study highlights clinical experience in managing patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary care centre in northern India. Methods Clinical characteristics and outcomes of consecutive adults patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital at Chandigarh, India, from April 1 to May 25, 2020 were studied. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on throat and/or nasopharyngeal swabs. All patients were managed according to the institute's consensus protocol and in accordance with Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines. Results During the study period, 114 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted. The history of contact with COVID-19-affected individuals was available in 75 (65.8%) patients. The median age of the patients was 33.5 yr (13-79 yr), and there were 66 (58%) males. Of the total enrolled patients, 48 (42%) were symptomatic. The common presenting complaints were fever (37, 77%), cough (26, 54%) and shortness of breath (10, 20.8%). Nineteen (17%) patients had hypoxia (SpO2 24). Thirty four (29.8%) patients had an accompanying comorbid illness. Age more than 60 yr and presence of diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with severe COVID-19 disease. Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) was needed in 18 patients (52%), with three (2.6%) patients requiring assisted ventilation. Mortality of 2.6 per cent (3 patients) was observed. Interpretation & conclusions Majority of the patients with COVID-19 infection presenting to our hospital were young and asymptomatic. Fever was noted only in three-fourth of the patients and respiratory symptoms in half of them. Patients with comorbidities were more vulnerable to complications. Triaged classification of patients and protocol-based treatment resulted in good outcomes and low case fatality.