Characteristics and prognostic factors of COVID-19 among infected cases: A nationwide Tunisian analysis
Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to constitute an international public health concern. Few data are available on the duration and prognostic factors of the disease. We aimed to study the recovery time among a Tunisian cohort of COVID-19 confirmed patients and identify the prognostic factors.
Methods: A retrospective, nationwide study was conducted from March 2 to May 8, 2020, recruiting all patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19, by RT-PCR methods, in Tunisia. Data were collected via phone call interview. Kaplan-Meir Methods and Cox proportional hazards regression models were, respectively, used to study the recovery time and estimate its prognostic factors.
Results: One thousand and thirty patients with COVID-19 (aged 43.2 ± 18.2 years, 526 female (51.1%)) were enrolled. Among them 141 (14.8%) were healthcare professionals. Out of 173 patients (17.8%) admitted to the hospital, 47 were admitted in an intensive care unit. Among 827 patients who didn’t require specialized care, 55.5% were self-isolated at home, while the rest were in specialized centers. Six hundred and two patients were symptomatic. A total of 634 (61.6 %) patients have recovered and 45 (4.4 %) patients died. The median duration of illness was estimated to be 31 days (95% CI: [29 - 32]). Older age (HR=0.66, CI:[ 0.46-0.96], P=0.031) and symptoms (HR=0.61, CI:[ 0.43-0.81], P=0.021) were independently associated with a delay in recovery time. Being a healthcare professional (HR=1.52, CI :[1.10-2.08], P=0.011) and patients in home isolation compared to isolation centers (HR=2.99, CI :[1.85-4.83], P<10¯³) were independently associated with faster recovery time.
Conclusion: The duration of illness was estimated to be one month. However, this long estimated duration of illness may not equate to infectiousness. A particular attention must to be paid to elderly and symptomatic patients with closer monitoring.
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Posted 21 Jan, 2021
On 14 Jan, 2021
On 12 Jan, 2021
On 12 Jan, 2021
On 12 Jan, 2021
On 05 Jan, 2021
On 07 Dec, 2020
On 07 Dec, 2020
On 07 Dec, 2020
On 28 Nov, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
Received 20 Nov, 2020
On 10 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 09 Nov, 2020
On 09 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 28 Sep, 2020
Received 26 Sep, 2020
Received 26 Sep, 2020
On 12 Sep, 2020
Received 14 Aug, 2020
On 11 Aug, 2020
On 03 Aug, 2020
Invitations sent on 28 Jul, 2020
On 02 Jul, 2020
On 01 Jul, 2020
On 01 Jul, 2020
On 01 Jul, 2020
Characteristics and prognostic factors of COVID-19 among infected cases: A nationwide Tunisian analysis
Posted 21 Jan, 2021
On 14 Jan, 2021
On 12 Jan, 2021
On 12 Jan, 2021
On 12 Jan, 2021
On 05 Jan, 2021
On 07 Dec, 2020
On 07 Dec, 2020
On 07 Dec, 2020
On 28 Nov, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
Received 20 Nov, 2020
On 10 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 09 Nov, 2020
On 09 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 28 Sep, 2020
Received 26 Sep, 2020
Received 26 Sep, 2020
On 12 Sep, 2020
Received 14 Aug, 2020
On 11 Aug, 2020
On 03 Aug, 2020
Invitations sent on 28 Jul, 2020
On 02 Jul, 2020
On 01 Jul, 2020
On 01 Jul, 2020
On 01 Jul, 2020
Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to constitute an international public health concern. Few data are available on the duration and prognostic factors of the disease. We aimed to study the recovery time among a Tunisian cohort of COVID-19 confirmed patients and identify the prognostic factors.
Methods: A retrospective, nationwide study was conducted from March 2 to May 8, 2020, recruiting all patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19, by RT-PCR methods, in Tunisia. Data were collected via phone call interview. Kaplan-Meir Methods and Cox proportional hazards regression models were, respectively, used to study the recovery time and estimate its prognostic factors.
Results: One thousand and thirty patients with COVID-19 (aged 43.2 ± 18.2 years, 526 female (51.1%)) were enrolled. Among them 141 (14.8%) were healthcare professionals. Out of 173 patients (17.8%) admitted to the hospital, 47 were admitted in an intensive care unit. Among 827 patients who didn’t require specialized care, 55.5% were self-isolated at home, while the rest were in specialized centers. Six hundred and two patients were symptomatic. A total of 634 (61.6 %) patients have recovered and 45 (4.4 %) patients died. The median duration of illness was estimated to be 31 days (95% CI: [29 - 32]). Older age (HR=0.66, CI:[ 0.46-0.96], P=0.031) and symptoms (HR=0.61, CI:[ 0.43-0.81], P=0.021) were independently associated with a delay in recovery time. Being a healthcare professional (HR=1.52, CI :[1.10-2.08], P=0.011) and patients in home isolation compared to isolation centers (HR=2.99, CI :[1.85-4.83], P<10¯³) were independently associated with faster recovery time.
Conclusion: The duration of illness was estimated to be one month. However, this long estimated duration of illness may not equate to infectiousness. A particular attention must to be paid to elderly and symptomatic patients with closer monitoring.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5