Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Individuals Tested for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Ndokwa-West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak has presented challenges to nations, communities, families, and the health system. Despite the availability of national and other similar data on patients' clinical characteristics in Nigeria, the study area still lacks local data documenting patients' clinical characteristics and their association with patients' outcomes.
Aim: To investigate the Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of individuals tested for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Ndokwa-West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.
Methodology: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1133 individuals who undertook the RT-PCR Covid-19 test from 2020 to August 2021 in Ndokwa-West Local Government Area of Delta State Nigeria. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to document patients' clinical characteristics vs outcomes.
Results: About one-third of the patients, 382(33.7%) were aged 56-65 years, and the majority, 878 (77.5%) were males. The prevalence of Covid-19 was 5.9%. Signs and symptoms presented were running nose 272(24.0%), cough 185(16.3%), nausea 109(9.6%) and 768(67.8%) presented with comorbidity and other severe life-threatening illnesses 566(50.0%) respectively. Predictors of patients outcomes were age (OR=2.369 95% CI=0.679-8.260), sex (OR=2.250 95% CI=0.134-3.801), comorbidity (OR=3.518 95% CI=1.864-4.632) and other severe life-threatening illness (OR=2.357 95% CI=4.021-8.604).
Conclusion: The prevalence of Covid-19 was low, and the associated clinical characteristics presented were running nose, cough, nausea, and comorbidity. The study findings have presented data that would help improve the care of Covid-19 patients in the study area and beyond