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Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A national retrospective study

Yousef M Alsofayan1, Saqer M Althunayyan2, Anas A Khan3

  • 1Global Center for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 11461 Riyadh, 11176, Saudi Arabia.

Journal of Infection and Public Health
|June 15, 2020
PubMed

Insights

This study highlights common COVID-19 symptoms like fever and cough in Saudi Arabia. Asymptomatic carriers and healthcare workers require special attention for disease control.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates understanding regional disease characteristics.
  • Knowledge gaps existed for the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia.
  • This study addresses demographic, clinical, and outcome data for COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the demographic profile of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia.
  • To identify the clinical characteristics and common symptoms of COVID-19.
  • To report initial outcomes and identify risk factors associated with COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • A multi-center, retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed.
  • Data from 1519 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases (March 1-31, 2020) were analyzed.
  • Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and outcome data were extracted from the Health Electronic Surveillance Network Database.

Main Results:

  • The median age of patients was 36 years, with 54.3% males. Healthcare workers comprised 12.5% of cases, and 9.3% were asymptomatic.
  • Common symptoms included cough (89.4%), fever (85.6%), and sore throat (81.6%). Underlying comorbidities were present in 20.1% of patients.
  • Hospital admission was required for 71.6% of patients, with 4.7% needing ICU care. Lymphocytopenia was observed in 37.5% of cases.

Conclusions:

  • Fever and cough are prevalent symptoms of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.
  • Asymptomatic carriers and healthcare workers are critical for disease transmission and require focused management strategies.
  • Further assessment of clinical courses and outcomes is needed for comprehensive pandemic response.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19Clinical characteristicsCoronavirusOutbreakSaudi Arabia

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