tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
World J Clin Cases
. 2021 Jan 6;9(1):118-132.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i1.118.
Comparative profile for COVID-19 cases from China and North America: Clinical symptoms, comorbidities and disease biomarkers
Alaa Badawi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Denitsa Vasileva[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Large inter-individual and inter-population differences in the susceptibility to and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been noted. Understanding these differences and how they influence vulnerability to infection and disease severity is critical to public health intervention.
Aim: To analyze and compare the profile of COVID-19 cases between China and North America as two regions that differ in many environmental, host and healthcare factors related to disease risk.
Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis to examine and compare demographic information, clinical symptoms, comorbidities, disease severity and levels of disease biomarkers of COVID-19 cases from clinical studies and data from China (105 studies) and North America (19 studies).
Results: COVID-19 patients from North America were older than their Chinese counterparts and with higher male: Female ratio. Fever, cough, fatigue and dyspnea were the most common clinical symptoms in both study regions (present in about 30% to 75% of the cases in both regions). Meta-analysis for the prevalence of comorbidities (such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and chronic kidney diseases) in COVID-19 patients were all significantly more prevalent in North America compared to China. Comorbidities were positively correlated with age but at a significantly younger age range in China compared to North American. The most prevalent infection outcome was acute respiratory distress syndrome which was 2-fold more frequent in North America than in China. Levels of C-reactive protein were 4.5-fold higher in the North American cases than in cases from China.
Conclusion: The differences in the profile of COVID-19 cases from China and North America may relate to differences in environmental-, host- and healthcare-related factors between the two regions. Such inter-population differences-together with intra-population variability-underline the need to characterize the effect of health inequities and inequalities on public health response to COVID-19 and can assist in preparing for the re-emergence of the epidemic.
Keywords: Adults; COVID-19; China; Comorbidities; North America; Symptoms.
. 2021 Jan 6;9(1):118-132.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i1.118.
Comparative profile for COVID-19 cases from China and North America: Clinical symptoms, comorbidities and disease biomarkers
Alaa Badawi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Denitsa Vasileva[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33511177
- PMCID: PMC7809676
- DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i1.118
Abstract
Background: Large inter-individual and inter-population differences in the susceptibility to and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been noted. Understanding these differences and how they influence vulnerability to infection and disease severity is critical to public health intervention.
Aim: To analyze and compare the profile of COVID-19 cases between China and North America as two regions that differ in many environmental, host and healthcare factors related to disease risk.
Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis to examine and compare demographic information, clinical symptoms, comorbidities, disease severity and levels of disease biomarkers of COVID-19 cases from clinical studies and data from China (105 studies) and North America (19 studies).
Results: COVID-19 patients from North America were older than their Chinese counterparts and with higher male: Female ratio. Fever, cough, fatigue and dyspnea were the most common clinical symptoms in both study regions (present in about 30% to 75% of the cases in both regions). Meta-analysis for the prevalence of comorbidities (such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and chronic kidney diseases) in COVID-19 patients were all significantly more prevalent in North America compared to China. Comorbidities were positively correlated with age but at a significantly younger age range in China compared to North American. The most prevalent infection outcome was acute respiratory distress syndrome which was 2-fold more frequent in North America than in China. Levels of C-reactive protein were 4.5-fold higher in the North American cases than in cases from China.
Conclusion: The differences in the profile of COVID-19 cases from China and North America may relate to differences in environmental-, host- and healthcare-related factors between the two regions. Such inter-population differences-together with intra-population variability-underline the need to characterize the effect of health inequities and inequalities on public health response to COVID-19 and can assist in preparing for the re-emergence of the epidemic.
Keywords: Adults; COVID-19; China; Comorbidities; North America; Symptoms.