Analysis of COVID-19-Related RT-qPCR Test Results in Hungary: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, and Clinical Outcome.
Front Med (Lausanne)
; 7: 625673, 2020.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33575263
ABSTRACT
Background:
Effective testing is an essential tool for controlling COVID-19. We aimed to analyse the data from first-wave PCR test results in Hungary's Southern Transdanubian region to improve testing strategies.Methods:
We performed a retrospective analysis of all suspected COVID-19 cases between 17 March and 8 May 2020, collecting epidemiological, demographic, clinical and outcome data (ICU admission and mortality) with RT-qPCR test results. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were conducted.Results:
Eighty-six infections were confirmed among 3,657 tested patients. There was no difference between the positive and negative cases in age and sex distribution; however, ICU admission (8.1 vs. 3.1%, p = 0.006) and in-hospital mortality (4.7 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.062) were more frequent among positive cases. Importantly, none of the initially asymptomatic patients (n = 20) required ICU admission, and all survived. In almost all cases, if the first test was negative, second and third tests were performed with a 48-h delay for careful monitoring of disease development. However, the positive hit rate decreased dramatically with the second and third tests compared to the first (0.3 vs. 2.1%, OR = 0.155 [0.053-0.350]). Higher E-gene copy numbers were associated with a longer period of PCR positivity.Conclusion:
In our immunologically naïve suspected COVID-19 population, coronavirus infection increased the need for intensive care and mortality by 3-4 times. In the event of the exponential phase of the pandemic involving a bottleneck in testing capacity, a second or third test should be reconsidered to diagnose more coronavirus infections.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Screening_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Front Med (Lausanne)
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Hungria