Comorbidities and risk factors for COVID-19 in a group of Iraqi patients confirmed by real-time PCR test

The aim of the study was to identify characteristic risk factors predisposing to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in a group of Iraqi patients in Baghdad City.  In this study, we included a total of 13411 persons who had been tested for COVID-19, supervised by Al-Razi Medical Center in Baghdad City during the period from June 20 to November 13, 2020. Cases were tested and divided into two groups according to the result of real-time RT-PCR test for COVID-19.   A total of 1781 positive cases were detected with confirmed COVID-19. Comorbidities in the study patients were identified as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and respiratory disorders. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity in COVID-19 patients followed by diabetes mellitus.  The results of this study showed that patients with comorbidities were significantly associated with positive RT-PCR results related to COVID-19. It was concluded that understanding the comorbidities enhance defining patients with COVID-19 at higher risk. Further research is needed to confirm and clarify the impact of the association of co-morbidities that accompany COVID-19.