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Published on: December 19, 2020
Clinical and epidemiologic profile of the initial COVID-19 patients at a tertiary care centre in India
Nitesh Gupta1, Sumita Agrawal2, Pranav Ish3
1Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. niteshgupta2107@gmail.com.
Insights
The initial COVID-19 cases in India presented as mild upper respiratory infections, primarily in young males. All 21 patients recovered fully, with most experiencing typical symptoms like fever and cough.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread globally starting in late 2019.
- Understanding the initial clinical and epidemiological features of COVID-19 in India was crucial for public health response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the initial epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in India.
- To report on the management and outcomes of early COVID-19 cases in an Indian tertiary care setting.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive case series of 21 patients confirmed with COVID-19 via polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Data collected included demographics, travel history, symptoms, laboratory results, and clinical management.
- The study period was from February 1, 2020, to March 19, 2020.
Main Results:
- The mean age of patients was 40.3 years, with a higher prevalence in males.
- Fever and cough were the most common symptoms (42.9%).
- Most patients had a mild presentation, resembling upper respiratory tract infections, with full recovery.
Conclusions:
- Early COVID-19 cases in India predominantly affected young males and presented with mild symptoms.
- The initial cohort demonstrated good recovery rates without severe complications or need for ventilatory support.
- This study provides valuable insights into the initial clinical spectrum of COVID-19 in the Indian population.
Abstract:
COVID-19 has now become a pandemic. It has spread from Wuhan, China, in December 2019 to a large number of countries within three months. The objective of this work is to report the initial experience with epidemiologic and clinical features, as well as with the management of COVID-19 patients in India. This is a descriptive case series of the first 21 COVID-19 infected patients confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and admitted to a tertiary care centre in India from 01.02.2020 to 19.03.2020. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic data were collected, including age, sex, nationality, travel history, symptoms, duration of stay, and comorbidities. The mean age of the population was 40.3 years with a male preponderance. Thirteen (62%) patients had recent travel history outside India in the previous 30 days, two thirds of whom had travelled to Italy. The most common symptoms were fever and cough (42.9%) followed by sore throat, headache and breathlessness. Vital and laboratory parameters were preserved in all patients and none of them required ventilatory support. Among the first 21 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection in India, the typical clinical presentation consisted in a mild upper respiratory tract infection predominantly affecting the young male population. One patient required supplemental oxygen. All patients recovered with no residual symptoms. *The Safdarjung Hospital COVID 2019 working group: Nitesh Gupta, Sumita Agrawal, Pranav Ish, Suruchi Mishra, Rajni Gaind, Ganapathy Usha, Balvinder Singh, Manas Kamal Sen, Shibdas Chakrabarti (Consultant and Head, Pulmonary Medicine); NK Gupta (Professor, Pulmonary medicine); Dipak Bhattacharya (Consultant, Pulmonary medicine); Rohit Kumar (Assistant Professor, Pulmonary Medicine); Siddharth R. Yadav (Assistant Professor, Pulmonary Medicine); Rushika Saksena (Specialist, Microbiology); Rojaleen Das (Assistant Professor, Microbiology); Vikramjeet Dutta (Assistant Professor, Microbiology); Anupam Kr Anveshi (Senior Resident, Microbiology); Santvana Kohli (Assistant Professor, Anaesthesiology); Naveen KV (Assistant Professor, Anaesthesiology); Amandeep Jaswal (Assistant Professor, Anaesthesiology).
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