Comparison of Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Deceased and Recovered Patients with COVID-19 in Sabzevar, Iran

Background and Aim: SARS-CoV-2 is the most dangerous virus in the coronavirus family and is a serious warning to all countries in the world. Despite the efforts of researchers, there are widespread ambiguities about it. The aim of this study was to comparison of clinical and epidemiological characteristics of deceased and recovered patients with COVID-19. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed in patients with COVID-19 in Vasei Hospital in Sabzevar, Iran in March and April 2020. The tools used were the researcher-made questionnaire, interview and medical files. Results: From the 178 patients, 52.8% were women and the mean age was 57.1±18 years. 85.4% have recovered and 14% have died. Shortness of breath (72.5%) was the most common symptom, followed by cough (61.8%) and fever (48.9%). 43.8% of all patients and 71.9% of deceased patients had at least one underlying disease. There were significant differences in terms of cough in recovered cases and decreased level of consciousness in deceased patients (P <0.05). Increased white blood cell counts, decreased lymphocytes, and increased neutrophils were significantly higher in deceased patients (P <0.05) Conclusion: Due to the high rate of infection and death in older people with underlying diseases, precautionary measures should be taken in this group. It is also helpful to pay attention to patients' symptoms in admission to identify the patient's prognosis. An increase in white blood cells and neutrophils and a decrease in lymphocytes indicate that the immune system is involved in these patients. More research is needed to identify the pathogenesis and underlying factors in these patients.