Characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 in Nepal: a multicenter, prospective cohort study

Authors

  • Ashok Chaudhary Department of Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9731-2059
  • Uday Narayan Singh Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Narayani Hospital, Birgunj, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0575-4445
  • Pramod Paudel Department of Medicine, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6955-8940
  • Niresh Thapa Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Hospital of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3641-5622
  • Kamal Khadka Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Rapti Provincial Hospital, Tulsipur, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9344-5487
  • Prameshwar Kumar Sah Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Narayani Hospital, Birgunj, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6134-9837
  • Sher Bahadur Kamar Department of Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9485-7846
  • Jagadish Joshi Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9355-3699
  • Kamar Hasan Ansari Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1159-0603
  • Shree Ram Tiwari Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7704-4488
  • Sarbesh Sharma Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Rapti Provincial Hospital, Tulsipur, Nepal
  • Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Anamnagar Diagnostic Center and Polyclinic, Kathmandu, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6944-9784
  • Ramesh Joshi Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0460-9388
  • Samikchya Baskota Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Anamnagar Diagnostic Center and Polyclinic, Kathmandu, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4009-995X
  • Arjun Prasad Tiwari Department of Anesthesia, Hospital of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla, Nepal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0740-5409
  • Hem Raj Pandey Department of Pediatrics, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.13881

Keywords:

Epidemiology, Nepal, South Asia, yoga

Abstract

Introduction: There is limited data on clinical course and outcomes of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 in Nepal. Thus, it is imperative to characterize the features of this disease in the domestic context.

Methodology: We identified all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to five different hospitals in Nepal from June 15 to July 15, 2020. We collected epidemiological, socio-cultural and clinicopathologic data, and stratified the patients based on their symptom status.

Results: The study included 220 patients with an overall median age of 31.5 (25-37) years, and 181 (82.3%) were males. 159 (72.3%) were asymptomatic, and 163 (74.1%) were imported cases. Of 217 patients with the available data, 110 (50.7%) reported their annual household income less than 2000 US dollars, and 122 (56.2%) practiced Pranayama (yogic rhythmic breathing techniques) regularly. Eight patients (3.6%) required supplemental oxygen and two patients (0.9%) died. None of the patients who practiced Pranayama regularly required supplemental oxygen. Compared to asymptomatic patients, symptomatic patients had greater proportion of females (31.1% vs. 12.6%, p = 0.001), imported cases (85.2% vs. 69.8%, p = 0.02), illiterates (26.8% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.01), alcohol users (43.3% vs. 24.5%, p = 0.01), and had higher platelet count (253×109/L vs. 185×109/L, p = 0.02).

Conclusions: Most cases were imported, asymptomatic young males, with very few deaths. Pranayama practice was associated with protection against severe COVID-19, but more data is needed to substantiate this. The association of platelets count with symptom status in the Nepalese population needs further exploration.

Author Biographies

Ashok Chaudhary, Department of Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

Department of Medicine, Medical Officer

Uday Narayan Singh, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Narayani Hospital, Birgunj, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Head of the Department.

Department of COVID-19, Head of Department.

Pramod Paudel, Department of Medicine, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal

Department of Medicine,  Consultant Physician

Niresh Thapa, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Hospital of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla, Nepal

Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Registrar

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Head of the Department

Kamal Khadka, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Rapti Provincial Hospital, Tulsipur, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Medical Officer

Prameshwar Kumar Sah, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Narayani Hospital, Birgunj, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Medical Officer

Sher Bahadur Kamar, Department of Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

Department of Medicine, Head of the Department

Department of COVID-19, Head of the Department

Jagadish Joshi, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Head of the Department

Kamar Hasan Ansari, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Medical Officer

Shree Ram Tiwari, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Bharatpur Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal

Bharatpur Hospital, Head of the Hospital

Sarbesh Sharma, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Rapti Provincial Hospital, Tulsipur, Nepal

Rapti Provincial Hospital, Head of the Hospital

Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Anamnagar Diagnostic Center and Polyclinic, Kathmandu, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Medical Officer

Ramesh Joshi, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Medical officer

Samikchya Baskota, Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Anamnagar Diagnostic Center and Polyclinic, Kathmandu, Nepal

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Medical Officer

Arjun Prasad Tiwari, Department of Anesthesia, Hospital of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla, Nepal

Department of Anesthesiology, Attending physician

Hem Raj Pandey, Department of Pediatrics, Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi, Nepal

Seti Provincial Hospital, Head of the Hospital

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Published

2022-03-31

How to Cite

1.
Chaudhary A, Singh UN, Paudel P, Thapa N, Khadka K, Sah PK, Kamar SB, Joshi J, Ansari KH, Tiwari SR, Sharma S, Jaiswal SK, Joshi R, Baskota S, Tiwari AP, Pandey HR (2022) Characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adults with COVID-19 in Nepal: a multicenter, prospective cohort study. J Infect Dev Ctries 16:469–477. doi: 10.3855/jidc.13881

Issue

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic