ABSTRACT
Background: Identifying risk factors for severe novel-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is useful to ascertain which patients may benefit from advanced supportive care. The study offers a description of COVID-19 patients, admitted to a general ward for a non-critical clinical picture, with the aim to analyse the differences between those transferred to the intensive (ICU) and/or sub-intensive care (SICU) units and those who were not. Methods: This observational retrospective study includes all COVID-19 patients admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit. Clinical, laboratory, radiological and treatment data were collected. The primary outcome was a composite of need of transfer to the ICU and/or SICU during the hospitalization. Patients who did not require to be transferred are defined as Group 1; patients who were transferred to the ICU and/or SICU are defined as Group 2. Demographic, clinical characteristics and laboratory findings at the 1 st , 3 rd and last measurements were compared between the two groups. Results: 303 patients were included. The median age was 62 years. 69 patients (22.8%) met the primary outcome and were defined as Group 2. The overall fatality rate was 6.8%. Group 2 patients were predominantly male (76.8% vs. 55.1%, p<0.01), had a higher fatality rate (14.5% vs. 3.8%, p<0,01), had more hypertension (72.4% vs. 44%, p<0,01) and diabetes (31.9% vs. 21%, p=0.04) and were more likely to present dry cough (49.3% vs. 25.2%, p<0.01). Overall, chest X-ray at admission showed findings suggestive of pneumonia in 63.2%, and Group 2 were more likely to develop pathological findings during the hospitalization (72.7% vs. 17.2%, p=0.01). At admission, Group 2 presented significantly higher neutrophil count, aspartate-transaminase and C-reactive-protein. At the 3 rd measurement, Group 2 presented persistently higher neutrophil count, hepatic inflammation markers and C-reactive-protein. Group 1 presented a shorter duration from admission to negativization of follow-up swabs (20 vs. 35 days, p<0.01). Conclusions: The presence of comorbidities and the persistent observation of abnormal laboratory findings should be regarded as predisposing factors for clinical worsening.