SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread over the world, and COVID-19 care in outpatient settings is difficult. Prior to widely available testing, the emergence of variants, COVID-19 vaccination, and post-vaccination (breakthrough) SARS-CoV-2 infections, researchers sought to describe the characteristics of patients with chronic respiratory disease (CRD) who had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and were seen in a new Acute Respiratory Clinic. Between March 16, 2020, and January 7, 2021, electronic medical record data from 907 people with suspected COVID-19 were evaluated. Demographics, comorbidities, medicines, vital signs, laboratory tests, pulmonary function tests, patient disposition, and co-infections were all included in the data. COVID-19 diagnosis by PCR was utilized as the dichotomous outcome variable in a logit model created using the overdispersed data (aod) R package. Data were analyzed using univariate, traditional multivariate, and elastic net machine learning techniques.

COVID-19 diagnosis was indicated by male gender, increased baseline temperature, and breathing rate. COVID-19 diagnosis was also linked to eosinopenia, neutrophilia, and lymphocytosis. Asthma and COPD diagnoses, on the other hand, were not linked to a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Higher hospital referral was linked to the male gender, poor oxygen saturation, and a lower forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1).

Male, feverish, and tachypneic CRD patients with acute respiratory symptoms in the ambulatory environment were more likely to have COVID-19. Patients who have a lower pre-morbid FEV1 and SPO2 are more likely to be admitted to the hospital. CRD patients seeking treatment for suspected COVID-19 can be risk-stratified using a combination of vital signs and WBC differential.

Reference:www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(22)00097-X/fulltext

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