Clinical evaluation of patients with COVID-19 within the framework of
comorbidities
Abstract
Background: Chronic systemic diseases (CSD) and cancer are closely
related to the clinical course, severity and mortality of COVID-19 due
to the immunosuppressive conditions caused by these diseases. The
purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between the
effects of cancer and CSD on the clinical and laboratory parameters of
patients with COVID-19. Methods: The study included patients who
received inpatient treatment with the diagnosis of COVID-19 at Ondokuz
Mayıs University between 16 March, 2020, and 1 December, 2020. The
participants were divided into four groups as follows: those without
comorbidities (Group 1), those with only CSD (Group 2), those with only
cancer (Group 3), and those with both CSD and cancer (Group 4).
Comparative statistical evaluation was performed in terms of clinical
symptoms, biochemical parameters, admission to intensive care and
survival. Results: In total, 750 patients were included: 242 patients in
Group 1, 442 in Group 2, 27 in Group 3, and 39 in Group 4. The mean age
of the patients was 57.1 ± 9.4 years, and 53.7% were male. Patients of
Group 1 were significantly different from those of the other groups in
terms of age, requirement for intensive care and intubation,
complications, survival, white blood cell and lymphocyte count,
neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and levels of haemoglobin, lactic acid
dehydrogenase, ferritin, D-dimer and C-reactive protein (for each p
< 0.001). Conclusion: No difference was observed among
laboratory parameters, intensive care admission, intubation need,
complication frequency and survival rates in patients with CSD or
cancer.