Epidemiological, clinical and biological profile of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized at the Avicenne Military Hospital in Marrakech

In late December 2019, a series of cases of viral pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread to all continents. This coronavirus, identified in respiratory tract samples, was named SARS-CoV-2 for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 by the ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses). The disease it causes was designated COVID-19 for Coronavirus Disease 2019 by the Word Health Organization.

Most often, SARS-CoV-2 infection is responsible for a mild or moderate form, with the most typical clinical presentation being that of a febrile respiratory infection with dry cough, dyspnea, fatigue, and myalgia. Approximately 10-15% of cases are severe, and 5% are critical. Cases of reinfection have been described. Treatment for COVID-19 is currently symptomatic, relying on supportive care.

The present study aims to investigate the demographic, clinical, and diagnostic aspects, as well as the study of risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among 318 patients admitted to the Avicenne Military Hospital in Marrakech during the first wave of the pandemic.

This is a retrospective descriptive and analytical study involving 318 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, diagnosed at the microbiology-virology department, and followed up in various non-intensive care units of the Avicenna Military Hospital in Marrakech, during the period of the first wave of the epidemic in Morocco, schematically between March 22, 2020, and July 19, 2020.

For patients who developed pneumonia, 20% were diabetic and 13.3% were hypertensive. A quarter of patients with pneumonia experienced desaturation upon admission. In the multivariate logistic regression model, risk factors associated with the development of pneumonia and the various disease outcomes included advanced age and absence of a history of contact with a confirmed case.

In the univariate analysis, hyperleukocytosis, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, eosinopenia, anaemia, hyperferritinaemia with elevated aspartate aminotransferase, hyponatraemia and fasting hyperglycaemia were significantly associated with a higher risk of an unfavourable outcome.

Patients who presented with pneumonia on admission had an unfavourable outcome during their hospitalisation compared with patients who did not develop pneumonia. The statistically significant risk factors associated with an unfavourable outcome were advanced age (>60 years) with p <0. 001: OR=1.194; 95%IC= [1.114-1.278], absence of contact with a confirmed case (p <0.001 : OR= 43.138; 95%IC= [8.893-209.263]), presence of comorbidity (P<0.001 : OR=11. 503; 95%CI= [3,306-40,028]), mainly diabetes (P<0.001: OR=16,971; 95%CI= [4,267-67,504]) and arterial hypertension (P<0.001: OR=18,812; 95%CI= [3,977-88,954]).

The study of the epidemiological, clinical and biological characteristics of COVID 19 at the Avicenne military hospital in Marrakech has enabled us to gain a better understanding of the profile of our patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, and then to detect shortcomings in terms of prophylaxis, diagnosis and management, in order to be able to provide the necessary solutions aimed at further improving the quality of care for this population.