RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to describe COVID-19's epidemiological characteristics in Oman during the initial stages of the outbreak and compare findings with other countries' reports. METHODS: Data were drawn from a descriptive, records-based review of reported cases of COVID-19 collected through the national COVID-19 Surveillance System from February to April 2020. RESULTS: A total of 2,443 confirmed cases were reported during the study period. The overall first-time testing rate for this period was 851.7 per 100,000, the positivity rate was 53.1 (confidence intervals [CI]: 51.0-55.2) and the death rate was 0.32 (CI: 0.20-0.54) per 100,000 population, respectively. The overall national positive ratio was 5.7% and ranged from 2.2-7.1% across various governorates. Muscat Governorate had the highest positive ratio (12.5%). People in the 51-60 year old age group (RR = 1.97), males (RR = 1.24), non-Omanis (RR = 2.33) and those living in Muscat (RR = 2.14) emerged as categories with significant demographic risk for COVID-19 cases when compared to the national average. The mean age was 35.6 ± 13.4. Asymptomatic cases accounted for nearly 16%. CONCLUSION: The overall rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths were low in Oman compared to the rest of the world during the study period.