Open AccessEpidemiological Characteristics of Pandemic Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Oman
Author(s) -
Bader Al-Rawahi,
Kellika Prakash,
Adil Al Wahaibi,
Amina AlJardani,
Khalid Al-Harthy,
Padmamohan J. Kurup,
Ali Almoqbali,
Mohammad Al-Tubi,
Zayid K. Almayahi,
Amal Al-Maani,
Seif Al-Abri
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
sultan qaboos university medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.258
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 2075-0528
pISSN - 2075-051X
DOI - 10.18295/squmj.2021.21.02.007
Subject(s) - medicine , epidemiology , asymptomatic , outbreak , pandemic , covid-19 , confidence interval , demography , population , relative risk , pediatrics , disease , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , virology , sociology
Objectives The aim of the current study was to describe COVID-19’s epidemiological characteristics in Oman during the initial stages of the outbreak and compare findings with other countries’ reports. Methods Data were drawn from a descriptive, records-based review of reported cases of COVID-19 collected through the national COVID-19 Surveillance System from February to April 2020. Results A total of 2,443 confirmed cases were reported during the study period. The overall first-time testing rate for this period was 851.7 per 100,000, the positivity rate was 53.1 (confidence intervals [CI]: 51.0–55.2) and the death rate was 0.32 (CI: 0.20–0.54) per 100,000 population, respectively. The overall national positive ratio was 5.7% and ranged from 2.2–7.1% across various governorates. Muscat Governorate had the highest positive ratio (12.5%). People in the 51–60 year old age group (RR = 1.97), males (RR = 1.24), non-Omanis (RR = 2.33) and those living in Muscat (RR = 2.14) emerged as categories with significant demographic risk for COVID-19 cases when compared to the national average. The mean age was 35.6 ± 13.4. Asymptomatic cases accounted for nearly 16%. Conclusion The overall rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths were low in Oman compared to the rest of the world during the study period.