Summary The study examined the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections among hospitalized patients. 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. Funding None declared
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Hospitalized, Pneumonia, Symptoms, Screening, complications, 【초록키워드】 protocol, Clinical characteristics, Therapeutics, hospital, Infection, Comorbidities, Diabetes Mellitus, risk, outcome, hospitalized patients, cough, hypertension, SARS-CoV2 infection, Laboratory, Medicine, outcomes, 2019 novel coronavirus, rRT-PCR, symptomatic, management, Patient, co-morbidity, age, mortality rate, disease, Critical, funding, Teaching, retrospective, medical record, presenting symptoms, Older, clinician, median age, difficulty in breathing, data extraction, single-center, center, participant, Confirmed COVID-19 infection, Department, duration of hospitalization, setting, observé, IMPROVE, Result, affected, examined, involved, the patient, conducted, reduce, diabete, comorbid condition, patients with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Characteristics, clinical, Teaching, COVID-19 patient,