Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of the First 500 Positive Cases of COVID-19. A Multicenter Retrospective Study across the Najran Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection that was first reported in Wuhan, China on 31 December 2019. This study aimed to clarify the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of 500 first COVID-19 in the Najran region, Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: A multi-center retrospective study design was employed to study the first 500 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in Najran province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Data were collected from 1 March 2020 until 1 July 2020 and provided by the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) department from the hospitals. Included cases were confirmed using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Demographic, vital signs, symptoms, incubation period, travel or exposure history medical history, and comorbidities were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between potential risk factors associated with symptoms occurrence of COVID-19. Results: The median age of 500 COVID-19 patients was 31 years; 333 (66.6%) males. A total of 34 (6.8%) were Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Out of the 500 patients, 180 (36%) had at least one comorbid disease. The most common symptoms on admission were fever 281 (56.2%), cough 266 (53.2%), shortness of breath 166 (33.2%), and malaise 113 (22.6%). Most of the patients presented with mild disease severity 310 (62%). Nationality, age, and Diabetes Miletus (DM) were independently and significantly associated with being symptomatic (P < 0.05). Compared to Saudi nationals, other nationality patients were most likely to have symptoms (β = 2.968, CI = 2.002 - 4.400, P = 0.0010). For every 1 year increase in age, the risk of being symptomatic increased by 5.8% (β = 1.045, CI = 1.033 - 1.058, P = 0.001). Compared with non-DM patients, DM patients had a 4.05 times higher risk (β = 4.05, CI = 2.188 - 7.507, P = 0.001) of getting symptoms. Conclusions: The study concluded that the majority of the COVID-19 patients were symptomatic or had mild disease severity. Age, nationality, and DM were the important risk factors in being symptomatic.