Epidemiological trends of COVID-19 in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Background: The goal of the study was to describe patient characteristics of a group of Pakistani population affected by COVID-19. Efforts have been made to identify the patient characteristics which increase the risk of infection. Many of these are useful in predicting the severity and prognosis of the disease. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out at COVID-19 medical facility at the onset of lockdown in Rawalpindi in Pakistan from March to June 2020. Individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test were primarily enrolled in the study. A link was shared of an online google form for collecting data. Data was compiled on Google forms which was transferred into SPSS version 24 for descriptive data analysis. Results: The study included 566 subjects; 469 (82.9%) recovered while 97 (17.1%) died. Majority of them were male, belonged to the age group of 31 – 45 years. The most common comorbid condition in the study population was hypertension 222 (39.2%). The most common symptoms patients presented with were dry cough (64%) followed by difficulty in breathing (48.2%). Conclusion: The study has highlighted age, gender and comorbidities as the characteristics which affected the outcome. This would be helpful in planning treatment for future.