Clinical characteristics of the patients:
164 subjects (44.5% female & 55.5% male) with a mean age of 54 (range: 24-89) years were studied.
The result of RT-PCR for COVID-19 was positive in 111 patients (67.6%) and 53 patients (32.4%) showed negative PCR results. Positive and negative RT-PCR results are shown based on gender (P.V = 0.384) and age (P.V = 0.075) distribution in Table 1.
Comparing the symptoms in positive and negative RT-PCR groups showed no significant difference except for dizziness (p= 0.048), cough (p=0.008) and weakness (p=0.022), which were slightly more frequent in positive RT-PCR group than the negative RT-PCR group.
Cough (31, 58.5%), dyspnea (93, 57.1%), fever (60, 54.1%) and weakness (61, 55.0%) were the most common symptoms in positive RT-PCR group. In negative RT-PCR group, cough (87, 78.4%), dyspnea (29, 54.7%), fever (23, 43.4%) and muscular pain (23, 43.4) were the most prevalent symptoms.
Statistical analysis of initial vital signs showed that RR, Temp, SBP, and DBP were similar between positive and negative RT-PCR groups, while pulse rate PR (HR) (p<0.041) and O2 saturation (SO2) (p<0.014) were significantly different in the two groups, which are shown in Table 1.
In positive RT-PCR group, the average (mean ±SD) of PR (HR) and SO2 were 99.4 (17.2) and 91.8 (5.5), respectively, which were 98.6 (23.0) and 89.5 (8.0) in negative RT-PCR group
According to the data, the average PR was slightly higher in positive RT-PCR group and the average of SO2 in the negative RT-PCR group was slightly lower.