Characteristics associated with COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses' infections at a single-center emergency department.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rapid identification of patients with high suspicion of COVID-19 will become a challenge with the co-circulation of multiple respiratory viruses (RVs). We have identified clinical or biological characteristics to help distinguish SARS-CoV-2 from other RVs.

Methods

We used a prospective cohort including all consecutive patients admitted through the emergency department's (ED) and presenting respiratory symptoms from November 2019 to April 2020. Patients were tested for RV using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR.

Results

203/508 patients were positive for an RV during the non-SARS-CoV-2 epidemic period (November to February), and 268/596 patients were SARS-CoV-2 positive during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic (March to April). Younger a

SUBMITTER: Bouzid D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7714208 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature