Clinical presentation, case management and outcomes for the first 32 COVID-19 patients in Nigeria

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 35; no. Suppl 2; p. 24
• Main Authors: Bowale, Abimbola, Abayomi, Akin, Idris, Jide, Omilabu, Sunday, Abdus-Salam, Ismail, Adebayo, Busayo, Opawoye, Folarin, Finnih-Awokoya, Ore, Zamba, Emmanuella, Abdur-Razzaq, Hussein, Erinoso, Olufemi, Onasanya, Tosin, Ramadan, Patrick, Nyenyi, Sam, Aniaku, Evaristus, Balogun, Muhammad, Okunromade, Oyeladun, Adejumo, Olusola, Adesola, Sunday, Ogunniyan, Tope, Balogun, Mobolanle, Osibogun, Akin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda The African Field Epidemiology Network 2020
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Case Management; Child; Child, Preschool; Cough - epidemiology; Cough - virology; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - therapy; COVID-19 - virology; Female; Fever - epidemiology; Fever - virology; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infant; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Male; Middle Aged; Nigeria - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Time Factors; Young Adult; Nigeria; clinical outcomes; Nigeria; COVID-19 presentation; retrospective study
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.2.23262

Success in curtailing the pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) depends largely on a sound understanding of the epidemiologic and clinical profile of cases in a population as well as the case management approach. This study documents the presenting characteristics, treatment modalities and outcomes of the first 32 COVID-19 patients in Nigeria. This retrospective study used medical records of the first 32 patients admitted and discharged from the Mainland Hospital, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria between February 27 and April 6, 2020. The outcomes of interest were death, promptness of admission process and duration of hospitalization. The mean age of the patients was 38.1 years (SD: 15.5) and 66% were male. Three-quarters (75%) of the patients presented in moderately severe condition while 16% were asymptomatic. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (59%) and dry cough (44%). The mean time between a positive test result and admission was 1.63 days (SD: 1.31). Almost all (97%) the patients were treated with lopinavir-ritonavir with no recorded death. The median duration of hospital stay was 12 days (IQR: 9-13.5). In this preliminary analysis of the first COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, clinical presentation was mild to moderate with no mortality. Processes to improve promptness of admission and reduce hospital stay are required to enhance the response to COVID-19 in Nigeria.