A Study on clinico-epidemiological characteristics and psychological aspects of COVID-19 patients of two covid care centres in northeast India: A retrospective cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: COVID-19 has now become a pandemic. It has spread from Wuhan, China in 2019 to all over the world. The outbreak and spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness related to COVID-19 has let to global health and economic crisis. Aim: The present study was done to understand the clinical epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of COVID-19 patients that could give an insight of the disease and help in evolving management strategies in terms of diagnosis, isolation and prevention of further spread. Methodology: This is a descriptive cross sectional study of COVID-19 patients admitted in 2 COVID care centres from 1-6-2020 t o 31-7-2020. The patients were diagnosed with RT-PCR. Demographic clinical and laboratory data were collected. Presence of fear, awareness, emotional and financial impact was interrogated. Results: There was a male preponderance with the disease mainly infecting adolescent and younger adults. There was positive correlation of the disease exposure with travel history, occupation and, disease severity with co-morbidities, vaccination and leucocyte counts. Extra pulmonary symptoms like anosmia, diarrhoea, myalgia and also predominance of fear emotion and financial insecurity were present among the study subjects. Conclusion: Active targeted surveillance among elderly and those with comorbidities for early detection and avoiding COVID-19 complications, adequate awareness in public and workplace with proper SOP (standard operating procedure), early isolation with medications for suspected patients with extra pulmonary symptoms and total counts based on clinical epidemiological guidance even before arrival of COVID-19 reports should be done Addressing the psychological aspects of the disease with due equality.