Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 26, 2025
Dynamic Monitoring of Seroconversion using a Multianalyte Immunobead Assay for Covid-19
Published on: February 16, 2022
A Clinical Monitoring Program of COVID-19 Outpatients: A Prospective Cohort Study
Hossein Kasiri1, Cyrus Mahjub2, Mohammadreza Mazaeri2
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran.
Insights
Mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients experienced diverse symptoms, with some remaining symptomatic for a month. A pharmacist-led monitoring program aided patient care and reduced unnecessary visits for COVID-19 management.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a significant global health challenge with high mortality and morbidity.
- While severe cases are well-documented, the clinical course of mild, nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients remains less understood.
- Limited clinical trials have focused on the comprehensive evaluation of this large patient demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the demographics, clinical characteristics, and comorbidities of nonhospitalized adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
- To understand the symptom presentation, duration, and laboratory findings in mild COVID-19 cases.
- To assess the effectiveness of a pharmacist-based monitoring program for nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, observational cohort study involving 105 nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients.
- Pharmacist-led assessment and monitoring for up to one month post-symptom onset.
- Evaluation of demographic data, symptom details, laboratory results, and hospitalization rates.
Main Results:
- The study included 105 patients (66.7% female, mean age 39.4 years) with a mean symptom onset of 5.6 days.
- Common symptoms included fatigue (78.1%), sore throat (67.6%), cough (60%), and myalgia (55.2%).
- Significant improvements in inflammatory markers (CRP, WBC, lymphocyte counts) were observed within two weeks. Forty patients (38.1%) were not symptom-free at one month, with 8 (7.6%) requiring revisits, though not hospitalization. Persistent symptoms included anosmia (18.1%) and fatigue (17.1%).
Conclusions:
- Mild COVID-19 can manifest with a broad spectrum of symptoms, and some patients may experience persistent symptoms for up to a month.
- A pharmacist-based monitoring system offers a beneficial approach for evaluating symptoms, reducing unnecessary healthcare visits, and educating patients about their illness.
- Pharmacist involvement in managing mild COVID-19 cases can optimize patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization.
Purpose:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with a high rate of mortality and morbidity. While a high portion of COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms, a limited number of clinical trials have evaluated the clinical course of this large group of patients. This study was designed to investigate the demographics and clinical characteristics and comorbidity of nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Methods:
This prospective, observational cohort study was performed on nonhospitalized adult patients (≥18 years) with COVID-19. Pharmacotherapy service was responsible for patients' assessment for up to 1 month. Demographic characteristics, the onset of symptoms, severity, duration, laboratory data, and hospitalization rate were evaluated by a pharmacist-based monitoring program.
Results:
From 323 patients who had been referred to the emergency department, 105 individuals were recruited between April 26 and August 2, 2020. Most of the patients were female (66.7%) with a mean age of 39.39 years (SD: ± 15.82). The mean time of the symptom onset was 5.6 days (SD: ±1.79). The majority of patients suffered from fatigue (78.1%), sore throat (67.6%), cough (60%), and myalgia (55.2%). C-reactive protein, white blood cell, lymphocyte, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and hemoglobin levels were recovered significantly during the first two weeks (P < 0.001). Hydroxychloroquine, naproxen, diphenhydramine, azithromycin, and vitamin D3 were the most common medications administered (98%, 96%, 94%, 68%, and 57%, respectively). Forty patients were not symptom-free after the one-month follow-up, and 8 patients (7.6%) were required to revisit without the need for hospitalization. Anosmia (18.1%) and fatigue (17.1%) were the most common persisted symptoms. There were no significant differences between symptom-free and symptomatic patients.
Conclusion:
Mild COVID-19 patients had a wide variety of symptoms and could be symptomatic even one month after the onset of symptoms. The pharmacist-based monitoring system can contribute beneficially to patients through the evaluation of symptoms, reduction of unnecessary visits, and provision of updated information to patients concerning the status of their illness.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients
01:30Pulse rhythm
Conversely, an irregular pulse pattern is termed dysrhythmia, stemming from disruptions in cardiac...
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:29Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
01:11Observational Studies
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
01:11Clinical Trials: Overview