Evolving epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 of the patients of a COVID-19 ward

Abstract

Introduction. Since late 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly evolved to become a global pandemic. Every country was affected but with a varying number of infected cases and mortality rates. Accurate projections of healthcare needs can help plan the pressure on the healthcare system, try to prevent them from reaching capacity and ensure they are well equipped to deal with increasing demand. Aim of study. COVID-19 has plagued the globe, with multiple SARS-CoV-2 clusters and its evolving epidemiology. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 of the patients of a COVID-19 ward. Methods and materials. For this retrospective study we enrolled all the COVID-19 patients diagnosed at a COVID-19 ward within the Public Health Care Setting of the Timofei Mosneaga Republican Clinical Hospital, where patients arrive from across the country. Epidemiological data was collected from patients’ medical records from September 2020 to May 2021. Results. The demographic characteristics: The 2203 patients were aged 18 to 92 years old with 51,56% of the sample being male (t=1,46; p>0,05). Most cases (778, 35,31%) were 58-67 years. The epidemiologic characteristics: The districts of recorded cases were divided into seven regions: Chisinau municipality (56,55%), Centre (23,19%), North (11,16%), South (7,03%), Transnistria (0,72%), ATU Gagauzia (1,04%), other countries (0,27%). A total of 758 were self-employed (34,40%), 703 retired (31,91%), 441 employed (20,01%), 182 unemployed (8,26%), 99 disabled persons (4,49%), 12 students (0,54%), 8 on maternity leave (0,36%). Patients with at least one coexisting underlying condition were 52,60% male and 47,39% female (t=1,41; p>0,05). Patients with multiple comorbidities were 51,05% male and 48,94% female (t=0,81; p>0,05). Conclusion. All people are susceptible to COVID-19, and older males and those from districts other than Chisinau aged 58-67 years are more likely to become severe cases. Even though COVID-19 is highly contagious, control measures have proven to be very effective, which could prevent most infections.