Age Distribution of Clinical Symptoms, Isolation, Co-morbidities and Case Fatality Rate of COVID-19 Cases in Najaf City, Iraq.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in holy Najaf city in February 22, 2020. The outbreak then rose up all over Iraq from 519 cases and 20 deaths in June 2, 2020 to 3484 cases and 72 deaths per day in August 10, 2020 per 24 hours. AIM: The aim of the study is to describe the distribution of confirmed cases by age, demographic factors, isolation, comorbidities and case fatality rate. METHODS: Prospectively collected and analyzed data on patients with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing. The demographic and clinical outcomes data of 1153 diagnosed patients were collected from consecutive patients, analyzed, and described. About two third of cases 789 (68.4%) acquired infection through contact with positive patients. RESULTS: The reported cases were 743 (64.4%) males and 410 (35.6%) females with large number among age range 21 to 50 years. The most frequent presenting symptoms were fever, sore throat and dyspnea or cough, most of patients; 868 (75%) patients were isolated at home versus 285 (24.72) patients required hospitalization which represented the intermediate and sever cases. The overall case fatality rate was 2.4%. CONCLUSION: Most of COVID-19 cases in this locality were male from urban areas. The common onset symptoms were the fever, sore throat and dyspnea or cough. Majority of cases were isolated and treated at home. The estimated case fatality rate was within the global range (2.4%).