G-3619

Clinical, Laboratory, and Radiological Characteristics of COVID-19 patients Admitted to Kouh Kamari Hospital, Marand

 Elham Ahmadi ¹ ℗, Nazila Imeni ², Amirreza Naseri ¹, Leila Nikniaz ³ ©   

 
Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, and pulmonary imaging findings of COVID-19 patients admitted to Kouh Kamari Hospital in Marand, Iran. SARS-CoV-2, first identified in Wuhan in December 2019, rapidly spread globally. It infects host cells via ACE2 receptors, leading to symptoms such as fever, cough, and respiratory distress. Radiologic features like ground-glass opacities and consolidations are commonly observed, indicating viral pneumonia. Individual factors such as health literacy and comorbidities can influence disease progression. Given regional disparities in healthcare access—especially in non-academic district-level centers—this study aimed to provide local epidemiological insights to inform better public health responses. Methods and Materials: A descriptive-comparative study was performed on 553 patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to Kouh Kamari Hospital between February 2020 and 2022. Patients were selected using random sampling. Data were collected through a researcher-designed questionnaire covering demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiologic information. Incomplete or unrelated records were excluded. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics (frequencies, central tendency indices) and comparative tests such as Pearson’s correlation, independent t-test, ANOVA, and Mann–Whitney U test, with significance set at p 0.05. Results: Of the 553 patients studied, 42.2% were male and 57.8% female, with a mean age of 61.99 years. Educational status varied, with 40.9% literate, 38.4% illiterate, and 20.7% unspecified. Smoking was reported in 6.5% of cases. The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (39%), hypertension (35.8%), and hyperlipidemia (29%). The most prevalent symptoms included dyspnea (78.8%), cough (67.8%), fever (45.3%), chills (28%), myalgia (28%), and fatigue (24.1%). The average oxygen saturation was 89.88%. Laboratory findings showed a mean WBC count of 8,500/μL, ESR of 51.88 mm/h, and elevated CRP in 67.6% of patients. Imaging showed lung involvement in 48.6%, with ground-glass opacity (48.8%) and consolidation (22.5%) as the most common patterns. Conclusion and Discussion: The results indicate that several factors contribute to COVID-19 severity and clinical presentation. Although more female patients were hospitalized—contrary to earlier reports highlighting higher severity in males—this may reflect regional differences in healthcare-seeking behavior or exposure patterns. Lower educational attainment, smoking, and comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were associated with worse outcomes, consistent with global data. The prominence of respiratory symptoms, abnormal imaging findings, and elevated inflammatory markers underscores the need for early detection and targeted interventions, particularly for high-risk groups in underserved regions.

Keywords: COVID-19, Clinical Manifestations, Laboratory Findings, Radiologic Findings