EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine

Background: A few weeks following the initial outbreak in China, Bangladesh reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 8, 2020. Given the novelty of this disease, understanding the demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients is crucial for advancing our knowledge and improving treatment strategies. Unfortunately, there is a need for more research-based data available on the demographic and clinical profiles of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bangladesh.

Aim of the Study: This study aimed to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 in Bangladesh.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital's Department of Medicine in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study was conducted over two years, starting in June 2019 and concluding in July 2021. Forty-six individuals were confirmed as COVID-19 positive through RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing. They sought treatment at this hospital during the specified research timeframe and were chosen as the study participants. Information was gathered directly from the patients or their caregivers through either face-to-face interviews or telephone interviews, utilizing a questionnaire that had been pre-designed for this purpose. Subsequently, the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 22.0.

Results: In this study, among total patients, the male-female ratio was 1.4:1. The mean ± SD age and BMI were 53.39 ± 12.92 years and 43.80 ± 7.97 Kg/M² respectively. In analyzing the clinical symptoms among the patients, we found, the highest number of patients were with cough which was found among 43.5%. Besides this, shortness of breath, hypoxemia/oxygen use and lower limb swelling were found among 23.9%, 21.7% and 17.4% patients respectively which was noticeable. In this study, bilateral lung involvement was found in 76% cases and as HRCT pattern, ground glass opacity (GGO) with consolidation was found in 61% cases which were noticeable. As comorbidity, in about half (48%) of the patients, DM was found. HTN, IHD and CKD were found among 23.9%, 17.4% and 10.9% cases respectively. Among total patients, in 23.9% moderate and in 19.6% severe shortness of breath was found.

Conclusion: According to the observation of this study, we can conclude that, middle aged people are the most prone to COVID19 in Bangladesh. The affected number of male patients was higher than that of female patients. BMI or body weight was not associated with the possibilities of being affected by COVID 19. Cough, shortness of breath as well as hypoxemia may be considered as the most potential clinical features and HTN and DM may be considered as the most potential comorbidities to be considered for a COVID 19 patient.

 Keywords: Demographic Profile; Clinical; COVID 19; RT-PCR; Bangladesh

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