COVID-2019-2020-2021: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has presented varied clinical courses and features globally since March 2020.
• Understanding these variations is critical for effective disease management and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine pooled estimations of clinical features and prognosis of COVID-19.
• To analyze subgroups based on disease severity across different global regions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Data collected from EBSCO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus (January 2020 - February 2021).
• Inclusion of 176 studies with 2.5 lakh participants from 11 countries.

Main Results:

• Mean participant age was 47.5 years, with 22.5% having comorbidities.
• Overall mortality rate was 5.5%, with higher rates in patients with pneumonia and end-organ failure.
• Severe COVID-19 cases frequently presented with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Approximately 25% of COVID-19 patients experienced severe disease.
• Mortality was observed in nearly 6% of all COVID-19 patients.
• Patients with comorbidities and severe disease require vigilant monitoring.