The severity of clinical symptoms and paranasal sinuses CT-scan finding in COVID-19 patients in Kirkuk Province

ABSTRACT

Introduction: COVID-19, first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, fast spread across the globe, causing a pandemic affecting many countries around the world. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the severity of clinical features and paranasal sinuses computed tomography (CT)-scan findings in COVID-19 patients and find the relationship between smoking and severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was achieved on a cohort of 399 patients, who clinically suffer from COVID-19 symptoms. The collected data for those patients included COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, presence of the IgG and IgM antigens, and paranasal sinuses CT-scan images. Results: This was a cross-sectional study of 399 patients infected with COVID-19. The mean age of the patients was 39 ± 11 years. Approximately 53.6% of them were males, whereas 46.4% were females. 55.6% of them performed CT scan for sinuses. 28.6% of the patients were with severe clinical features. 51.1% of them were smoking. 77.4% of them were of positive PCR, 57.9% positive IgG, and 86.7% positive IgM. 27.8% of patients were of the age group of 40-49 years. There was a significant association between the severity of COVID infection and age group. There was a significant association between the severity of COVID infection and sinus CT-scan findings. There was a significant association between the severity of COVID infection and positive PCR. There was a significant association between the severity of COVID infection and positive IgM. There was a significant association between smoking and sinus CT-scan findings. Conclusion: At the time of COVID infection, the severity of infection ranged from mild to moderate. More severe infection with COVID-19 associated with significant finding in sinus CT scan in patients at age group 50-59 years, and sinus also more severe COVID infection associate with positive CT scan finding that occur more in smocking patients. © 2022 Medical Journal of Babylon ;Published by Wolters Kluwer-Medknow.