THE ENIGMATIC PROFILE: UNRAVELING CLINICAL AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES IN COVID-19 PATIENTS
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has emerged as an unparalleled global health crisis, affecting millions of lives worldwide. This respiratory illness exhibits a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), leading to high morbidity and mortality rates, especially among vulnerable populations. In this abstract, we provide a concise overview of the clinical and biological characteristics observed in COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with COVID-19 presenting with mild to moderate clinical and paraclinical features and their subsequent outcomes. Materials and methods: The study group included 200 patients diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19, exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms, who were admitted for treatment and health monitoring. Results: The estimated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was over 5 times higher in asymptomatic afebrile patients (RR=5.82; 95% CI: 0.88-38.65; p=0.004). Among asymptomatic patients, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels ranged from 0.58 to 39.88 mg/dL, while in symptomatic patients, the range varied from 0.20 to 200.17 mg/dL. The mean level of CRP was significantly higher in symptomatic patients (13.67 vs. 5.73 mg/dL; p=0.001). Regarding imaging examinations, 38.6% of subjects did not show pathological aspects. The time to viral clearance ranged from 9 to 41 days in asymptomatic patients and from 2 to 38 days in symptomatic patients, with a similar mean duration in both groups (18.71 vs. 18.79 days; p=0.936). Conclusions: The estimated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was over 5 times higher in asymptomatic afebrile patients, and among laboratory markers, the inflammatory marker CRP was associated with a more severe COVID-19 outcome. Our study has several limitations that need to be acknowledged, including the small number of patients and the short follow-up period.
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