Table 2.
Presentation Characteristics of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 by Disease Severity and Mortality, Southeast United States
| Patient Presentation | No./Total (N = 502) (%) |
|---|---|
| Epidemiologic risk factors for COVID-19 | |
| Admitted from congregate settinga | 155/502 (31) |
| Known exposure to COVID-positive individual | 199/502 (40) |
| Healthcare worker | 35/502 (7) |
| Physician | 6/35 (17) |
| Nurse | 11/35 (31) |
| Other | 18/35 (51) |
| Evaluation location | |
| Patients evaluated prior to admission | 218/502 (43) |
| ED evaluationb | 133/502 (61) |
| COVID assessment site | 35/502 (16) |
| Other | 50/502 (23) |
| Testing timing | |
| Patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 assay during admission | 366/502 (73) |
| Mean time to positive test after admission, days | 1.6±2.9 |
| Patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 assay prior to admission | 79/502 (16) |
| Mean time to positive test prior to admission, d | 0.7±2.3 |
| Not reported | 57/502 (11) |
| Hospitalized location, state | |
| Arkansas | 56/502 (11) |
| North Carolina | 76/502 (15) |
| Louisiana | 80/502 (16) |
| Mississippi | 127/502 (25) |
| Tennessee | 163/502 (32) |
| Clinical presentation | |
| Fever (Tmax >38°C in house or prior to admission) | 352/502 (70) |
| Productive cough | 80/502 (16) |
| Dry cough | 277/502 (55) |
| Dyspnea | 317/502 (63) |
| Night sweats | 27/502 (5) |
| Chills | 94/502 (19) |
| Sore throat | 36/502 (7) |
| Fatigue | 187/502 (37) |
| Anorexia | 80/502 (16) |
| Myalgia | 142/502 (28) |
| Nasal congestion | 45/502 (9) |
| Rhinorrhea | 37/502 (7) |
| Nausea | 105/502 (21) |
| Vomiting | 66/502 (13) |
| Diarrhea (>3 episodes of loose stool within previous 24 h) | 104/502 (21) |
| Abdominal pain | 49/502 (10) |
| Headache | 70/502 (14) |
| Rash | 2/502 (0) |
| Anosmia (loss of smell) | 25/502 (5) |
| Ageusia (loss of taste) or dysgeusia (altered taste) | 36/502 (7) |
| Psychataxia (difficulty concentrating) | 29/502 (6) |
| Pleurisy/chest pain | 57/502 (11) |
| No. of patients reporting symptoms prior to admission | 471/502 (94) |
| Mean duration of symptoms prior to admission, d | 5.2±4.5 |
Note. ED, emergency department.
a
Congregate setting is a school, workplace, prison, etc.