Abstract
Background: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. The aim of the present study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Rudan county so that regional managers can make timely and effective decisions.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study performed on all registered patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Rudan county by July 10, 2020. Patient information was extracted from COVID-19 patient information registration system. The collected data included gender, age, mortality, underlying disease, time of infection, occupation, contact history, and hospitalizations. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0.
Results: In this study, 614 (56%) of the patients were male and 477 (43%) were female. The mean age of patients was 43 ± 17 years. A total of 136 patients (12.5%) had at least one underlying disease. The majority of patients with underlying diseases (75%) had a history of contact with a patient with confirmed COVID-19. There was no statistically significant relationship between mortality and gender. The mean age of inpatients and outpatients was 56 ± 19 and 40 ± 15 years, respectively. Most deaths occurred among the elderly and housewives, and the highest infection rate also occurred among the latter group.
Conclusion: In a situation where the COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat, health systems must demonstrate appropriate and timely responses based on the development and implementation of preventive policies and the care of vulnerable and high-risk patients.