ABSTRACT
Background: The pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which poses unprecedented challenges to health-care systems around the world, another one is hypertension which is growing rapidly to epidemic levels in the developing countries, that’s why described by some clinicians as a ‘silent killer’. Objective: To study the prevalence of hypertension on disease progression and prognosis in patients with SARS-COV-2 positive adults and also assess the co relation between SARS-COV-2 positive adults with hypertension in tertiary care hospital. Methodology: A Hospital based, cross sectional, observational study was conducted among the 208 SARS-COV-2 positive adults in tertiary care hospital. A comparison between patients, admitted in Non-ICU and in ICU for treatment and management. Their demographic data, clinical manifestations, were collected and analyzed. Result: In our study 65 SARS-COV-2 positive subjects were found to be hypertensive with the prevalence of 31.3%. Where;new cases of hypertension were found to be with prevalence of 16 (24.6.%). Whereas, 69.4% of hypertensive subjects were on medication still having raised blood pressure (P < 0.05). However, failed to show that hypertension was an independent risk factor for COVID-19 mortality or severity (P > 0.05). Recommendation: It is necessary to create additional attention, awareness, change attitude so that they quit and avoid modifiable risk factors associated with hypertension and SARS-COV-2 infection and prevent worsening of their condition which leads to severe pneumonia, excessive inflammatory reactions, organ and tissue damage, and deterioration of the disease.
ABSTRACT
The magnitude and pace of global affliction caused by Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is unprecedented in the recent past. From starting in a busy seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the virus has spread across the globe in less than a year, infecting over 76 million people and causing death of close to 1.7 million individuals worldwide. As no specific anti-viral treatment is currently available, the major strategy in containing the pandemic is focused on early diagnosis and prompt isolation of the infected individuals. Several diagnostic modalities have emerged within a relatively short period, which can be broadly classified into molecular and immunological assays. While the former category is centered around real-time PCR, which is currently considered the gold standard of diagnosis, the latter aims to detect viral antigens or antibodies specific to the viral antigens and is yet to be recommended as a stand-alone diagnostic tool. This review aims to provide an update on the different diagnostic modalities that are currently being used in diagnostic laboratories across the world as well as the up-coming methods and challenges associated with each of them. In a rapidly evolving diagnostic landscape with several testing platforms going through various phases of development and/or regulatory clearance, it is prudent that the clinical community familiarizes itself with the nuances of different testing modalities currently being employed for this condition.