Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal (Jan 2021)

Clinical presentation of COVID-19-positive and -negative patients in Lagos Nigeria: A comparative study

  • Olusola Adedeji Adejumo,
  • Tope Ogunniyan,
  • Sunday Adesola,
  • Igbodo Gordon,
  • Oluwayemisi Bamidele Oluwadun,
  • Oluwaseun David Oladokun,
  • Ismail Adeshina Abdulsalam,
  • Ayodeji Anthony Falana,
  • Omolebi Shina Anderson,
  • Alphonsis Anumah,
  • Olusola Taiwo Dawodu,
  • Henry John Owuna,
  • Efunshade Ganiat Osoba,
  • Ahmed Ola-Ayinde Disu,
  • Adeife Valentina Adetola,
  • Nifemi Bukola Oloniniyi,
  • Patrick Kayode Fadoju,
  • Ayodele Oloruntoba Ogunsanya,
  • Oluwatomilola Aanuoluwapo Osundaro,
  • Abimbola Bowale

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/npmj.npmj_547_21
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 28, no. 2
pp. 75 – 80

Abstract

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Background: A lot has been documented about the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We compared the clinical features of real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 positive and negative patients admitted in Lagos State. Methods: Medical records of all patients admitted in 15 isolation centres across Lagos state between 27th February 2020 and 30th September 2020, were abstracted and reviewed. We compared the clinical features, co-morbidities and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 positive and negative patients. Results: A total of 3157 records of patients admitted in 15 isolation centres in Lagos State were reviewed of which 302 (9.6%) tested negative to RT-PCR COVID-19. There was no gender difference between COVID-19 positive and negative patients (P = 0.687). The average age of the negative patients was higher (46.8 ± 18.3 years) than positive patients (41.9 ± 15.5 years) (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of the COVID-19 negative patients had co-morbidity (38.1% vs. 27.8%), were symptomatic (67.5% vs. 44.6%) and higher mortality (21.9% vs. 6.6%) than positive patients (P < 0.001). The percentages with hypertension (26.2% vs. 21.0%, P = 0.038), diabetes (17.2% vs. 9.4%, P < 0.001), cardiovascular disease (2.3% vs. 0.9%, P < 0.029) and cancer (2.3% vs. 0.5%, P < 0.002) were more among patients without COVID-19. More patients without COVID-19 presented with fever (36.1% vs. 18.8%), cough (33.7% vs. 23.1%) and breathlessness (40.8% vs. 16.1%) than the positive patients (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Anosmia and dysgeusia were strongly associated with COVID-19. Clinical decision-making should only be used to prioritise testing and isolation of patients suspected to have COVID-19, especially in settings with limited access to diagnostic kits.

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