Background: Effective testing is an essential tool for controlling COVID-19. We aimed to analyse the data from first-wave PCR test results in Hungary’s Southern Transdanubian region to improve testing strategies. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all suspected COVID-19 cases between 17 March and 8 May 2020, collecting epidemiological, demographic, clinical and outcome data (ICU admission and mortality) with RT-qPCR test results. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were conducted. Results: Eighty-six infections were confirmed among 3,657 tested patients. There was no difference between the positive and negative cases in age and sex distribution; however, ICU admission (8.1 vs. 3.1%, p = 0.006) and in-hospital mortality (4.7 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.062) were more frequent among positive cases. Importantly, none of the initially asymptomatic patients ( n = 20) required ICU admission, and all survived. In almost all cases, if the first test was negative, second and third tests were performed with a 48-h delay for careful monitoring of disease development. However, the positive hit rate decreased dramatically with the second and third tests compared to the first (0.3 vs. 2.1%, OR = 0.155 [0.053–0.350]). Higher E-gene copy numbers were associated with a longer period of PCR positivity. Conclusion: In our immunologically naïve suspected COVID-19 population, coronavirus infection increased the need for intensive care and mortality by 3–4 times. In the event of the exponential phase of the pandemic involving a bottleneck in testing capacity, a second or third test should be reconsidered to diagnose more coronavirus infections.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Epidemiology, Testing, Surveillance, PCR diagnostics, 【초록키워드】 Coronavirus infection, pandemic, Mortality, intensive care, Infection, outcome, Coronavirus infections, ICU admission, Retrospective analysis, epidemiological, PCR test, disease, patients, in-hospital mortality, diagnose, PCR positivity, E-gene, statistical analysis, Hungary, COVID-19 case, no difference, naïve, positive, first test, RT-qPCR test, first-wave, IMPROVE, tested, performed, required, conducted, survived, age and sex, immunologically, initially asymptomatic patient, 【제목키워드】 Test, RT-qPCR, clinical, Result,