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A comparative study on the clinical features of COVID‐19 with non‐SARS‐CoV‐2 respiratory viral infections
Author(s) -
Tan Jing Yuan,
Sim Xiang Ying Jean,
Wee Liang En,
Chua YingYing,
Cherng Benjamin Pei Zhi,
Ng Ian Matthias,
Conceicao Edwin Philip,
Wong TzuJung,
Yang Yong,
Aung May Kyawt,
Ling Moi Lin,
Venkatachalam Indumathi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.26486
Subject(s) - medicine , anosmia , dysgeusia , respiratory system , intensive care medicine , pandemic , epidemiology , covid-19 , pneumonia , coronavirus , viral pneumonia , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , adverse effect
During this coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, physicians have the important task of risk stratifying patients who present with acute respiratory illnesses. Clinical presentation of COVID‐19, however, can be difficult to distinguish from other respiratory viral infections. Thus, identifying clinical features that are strongly associated with COVID‐19 in comparison to other respiratory viruses can aid risk stratification and testing prioritization especially in situations where resources for virological testing and resources for isolation facilities are limited. In our retrospective cohort study comparing the clinical presentation of COVID‐19 and other respiratory viral infections, we found that anosmia and dysgeusia were symptoms independently associated with COVID‐19 and can be important differentiating symptoms in patients presenting with acute respiratory illness. On the other hand, laboratory abnormalities and radiological findings were not statistically different between the two groups. In comparing outcomes, patients with COVID‐19 were more likely to need high dependency or intensive care unit care and had a longer median length of stay. With our findings, we emphasize that epidemiological risk factors and clinical symptoms are more useful than laboratory and radiological abnormalities in differentiating COVID‐19 from other respiratory viral infections.