RESUMO
Purpose: COVID-19, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an emerging global public health problem. The disease is believed to affect older people and is accompanied by clinical features such as fever, shortness of breath, and coughing. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia. Thus, this paper aims to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features of COVID-19 patients in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Patients and Methods: A total of 6,637 symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients collected from six isolation and treatment centers in Tigray between May 7 and October 28, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients as appropriate. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the patients was 31.3±12.8. SARS-CoV-2 infects men more than women with a ratio of 1.85:1. About 16% of the patients were symptomatic, of which 13.3% (95% CI=11.3-15.4%) were admitted to intensive care units and 6.1% (95% CI=4.5-7.6%) were non-survivors. The mortality rate was increased up to 40.3% (95% CI=32.1-48.4%) among patients with severe illness. A higher proportion of deaths were observed in men (73.2%) and 55.4% were in the age group of ≥50 years. About 4.3% (282 of 6,637) had one or more coexisting comorbidities; the most common being cardiovascular diseases (30.1%) and diabetes mellitus (23.8%). The comorbidity rate in the non-survivor group was significantly higher than in the survivor group (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The proportion of symptomatic patients was low. Non-survival was linked with old age and the existence of comorbidities. The findings of this study can help in the design of appropriate management strategies for COVID-19 patients, such as giving due emphasis to COVID-19 patients who are old and with comorbidities.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The two major comrbidities (anemia and poor nutrition) are common manifestations of HIV-infected children, which threaten their lives. In Ethiopia, there is limited information on the magnitude and factors associated with anemia among HIV-infected children. Thus, this study was aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with anemia among HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy in the Afar region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective record review was conducted on a sample size of 102 HIV-infected children aged 6 months to < 15 years in selected ART sites of the Afar region from May 1 to 25, 2018. Patient cards from 2009 to 2017 with the required information were considered. A paired sample t-test was used to assess whether there is a significant difference in the hemoglobin level before and after the HAART regimen. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of anemia. Statistical significance was determined atp value < 0.05. RESULT: At baseline, 53.9% of study participants were anemic, from which 8.7%, 36.3%, and 9.8% were mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. There was a statistically significant improvement of hemoglobin level following the one-year course of ART treatment from 10.67 ± 1.82 to 11.5 ± 1.5 (p value ≤ 0.001): an improvement of 0.83 ± 1.74. Children who were moderately and severely stunted were more than five (AOR = 5.16, 95% CI (1.71, 15.56)) and more than twelve (AOR = 12.45, 95% CI (2.62, 59.21)) times more likely to be anemic than children who were not stunted, respectively. Children whose mothers had not attended ANC follow-up were more than three (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI (1.38, 9.81)) times more likely to be anemic than children whose mothers attended ANC. Children who were in clinical stages 3 and 4 were more than five (AOR = 5.07, 95% CI (1.79, 14.37)) times more likely to be anemic than children who were in clinical stage 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of anemia among HIV-infected children was found to be high, which is 53.9%. Nutritional status (stunting), WHO clinical stage, and history of ANC follow-up were the predictors significantly associated with childhood anemia. Thus, interventions for HIV-infected children should consider those factors.