Cross-sectional study of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients in a public hospital complex in Curitiba (PR), Brazil

BACKGROUND : The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) stems from a virus capable of causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The understanding of this new disease demands epidemiological data. To determine the epidemiological profile of SARS and confirmed COVID-19 patients in a public hospital complex. METHODS : Three-month cross-sectional study at a public hospital complex in Curitiba (PR, Brazil). It was included SARS tested patients using nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 laboratory diagnosis. Age-range (by quartiles), sex, forwarding, city of origin, hospitalization and evolution (discharge or death) were analyzed. An alpha of 5% was considered statistically significant. RESULTS : 741 SARS patients were included. The predominant age-range was 37 to 50 years (26.6%), 57.1% was female, 57.9% were forwarded and 81.1% were from Curitiba. The confirmed-COVID-19 patients predominant age-range was 51 to 66 years. Men and forwarded patients had greater risk of presenting the disease being prevalence ratio (PR) 1.38 (1.05-1.81 / 95% confidence interval (CI)) and PR 2.11 (1.51-2.93 / 95% CI) times, respectively. The confirmed-COVID-19 hospitalized patients prevalent age-range was 54 to 67 years. Men and forwarded patients had higher risk of hospitalization being PR 1.18 (95% CI = 1.04-1.33) and PR 2.17 (95% CI = 1.54-3.04) times, respectively. The confirmed discharged patients predominant age-range was 17 to 41 years and of those who died was 68 to 96 years. DISCUSSION : COVID-19 is more prevalent in elderly, men and forwarded patients. This profile is also associated with higher risk of hospitalization. Age-range is associated with evolution.