Real-life Management Strategy of COVID-19 Patients in Bangladesh with No Death: An Observational and Cohort Study

29, April 2020 | Bangladesh

Authors:

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been declared as pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO) with increasing morbidity (more than 4.6 million patients) and mortality (300,000 deaths). The world-wide target of management COVID-19 is to reduce complications with available management options; this become highly variable from country to country and even within different regions of the same country. Aim and objective: This observational prospective study represents a single center study in which all patients in this cohort received almost similar medicines and care. Materials and methods: All patients in this cohort (N: 32) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with variable presenting symptoms. The management strategy included Standard of Care (SoC) and administration of hydroxychloroquine and doxycycline. Out of 32 patients, 9 patients also received favipiravir. All patients were followed until they were discharged after negativity of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed by PCR on two consecutive occasions taken within 2 days. Results: No death has been recorded in this cohort of 32 patients within the study period. The average hospital staying duration was 13.9 days with a range of 8–21 days. All patients were discharged with improvement of subjective symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 negativity. The vital signs (pulse, blood pressure) as well as and levels of electrolyte and blood counts were within normal and acceptable ranges at the time of discharge. Conclusion: The study presented here provide and evidence of a real-life situation of management of limited numbers of COVID-19 patients at a tertiary center of Bangladesh. This study inspires optimism that proper diagnosis, establishment of effective inclusion and exclusion criteria, ensuring application of proper SoC with drugs available in Bangladesh may be a practical option for management of COVID-19 in the country.