This article is a Preprint
Preprints are preliminary research reports that have not been certified by peer review. They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Preprints posted online allow authors to receive rapid feedback and the entire scientific community can appraise the work for themselves and respond appropriately. Those comments are posted alongside the preprints for anyone to read them and serve as a post publication assessment.
Prevalence and correlation of symptoms and comorbidities in COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Preprint
in En
| PREPRINT-MEDRXIV
| ID: ppmedrxiv-20177980
ABSTRACT
BackgroundThe COVID-19 affected millions of people, and the patients present a constellation of symptoms and comorbidities. We aimed to chronicle the prevalence and correlations of symptoms and comorbidities, and associated covariates among the patients. MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis [PROSPERO registration CRD42020182677]. Databases [PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, WHO, Semantic Scholar, and COVID-19 Primer] were searched for clinical studies published in English from January 1 to April 20, 2020. The pooled prevalence of symptoms and comorbidities were identified using the random effect model, and sub-groups analysis of patients age and locations were investigated. A multivariable factor analysis was also performed to show the correlation among symptoms, comorbidities and age of the COVID-19 patients. FindingsTwenty-nine articles [China (24); Outside of China (5)], with 4,884 COVID-19 patients were included in this systematic review. The meta-analysis investigated 33 symptoms, where fever [84%], cough/dry cough [61%], and fatigue/weakness [42%] were found frequent. Out of 43 comorbidities investigated, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [61%] was a common condition, followed by hypertension [23%] and diabetes [12%]. According to the patients age, the prevalence of symptoms like fatigue/weakness, dyspnea/shortness of breath, and anorexia were highly prevalent in older adults [[≥]50 years] than younger adults [[≤]50 years]. Diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and COPD/lung disease were more prevalent comorbidities in older adults than younger adults. The patients from outside of China had significantly higher prevalence [p< 0.005] of diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, sore throat, and dyspnea, and the prevalent comorbidities in that region were diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and ARDS. The multivariable factor analysis showed positive association between a group of symptoms and comorbidities, and with the patients age. InterpretationEpitomizing the correlation of symptoms of COVID-19 with comorbidities and patients age would help clinicians effectively manage the patients. Summary boxO_TEXTBOXO_LSTWhat is already known?C_LSTO_LIThere is scarce evidence on the prevalence of all symptoms and comorbidities in COVID-19 infected older adults and patients from outside of China. C_LIO_LIPreviously published review studies excluded a wide range of symptoms and comorbidities from their analysis due to limited time-frame. C_LIO_LIStudy on the correlation of symptoms and comorbidity with age of the COVID-19 patients are not yet to be explored. C_LI O_LSTWhat are the new findings?C_LSTO_LIWe investigated all the reported symptoms [33] and comorbidity [43] where fever [84%], cough/dry cough [61%], fatigue/weakness [42%] and dyspnea/shortness of breath [ symptoms, and ARDS [61%], followed by hypertension [23%] and frequent comorbidity. C_LIO_LIKey findings, the fatigue/weakness, dyspnea/shortness of breath and anorexia were comparatively higher in older adults than younger adults, and the patients from outside of China had a higher prevalence diarrhoea, fatigue, nausea, sore throat, dyspnea, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and ARDS. C_LIO_LIKey findings, the symptoms comprising fever, dyspnea/shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, anorexia and pharyngalgia; and the comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, COPD/lung disease and ARDS were positively correlated with the COVID-19 patients age. C_LI O_LSTWhat do the new findings imply?C_LSTO_LIThese findings according to patients age and geographical variations may help the health care providers and policy makers. C_LIO_LIThis pioneering efforts in estimating the prevalence and correlations of all frequent symptoms and comorbidities will help the clinicians and disease practitioners like WHO to implement patient-centered interventions. C_LI C_TEXTBOX
cc_by_nc_nd
Full text:
1
Collection:
09-preprints
Database:
PREPRINT-MEDRXIV
Type of study:
Experimental_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Rct
/
Review
/
Systematic_reviews
Language:
En
Year:
2020
Document type:
Preprint