TABLE 4.
Comparison between women admitted for COVID‐19 illness and women admitted for other medical indications (excluding isolation): Characteristics and description of COVID‐19 illness a
| Admitted for COVID‐19 illness (n = 217) | Admitted for other medical indications (excluding isolation) (n = 397) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | n = 153 | n = 337 | 0.24 |
| <20 | 6 (3.9) | 24 (7.1) | |
| 20–34 | 97 (63.4) | 221 (65.6) | |
| ≥35 | 50 (32.7) | 92 (27.3) | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | n = 129 | n = 291 | 0.16 |
| Underweight (<18) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.4) | |
| Normal (18–25) | 19 (14.7) | 64 (22.0) | |
| Overweight (25.1–30) | 31 (24.0) | 71 (24.4) | |
| Obese (≥30) | 79 (61.2) | 152 (52.2) | |
| MUAC (cm) | n = 93 | n = 213 | 0.71 |
| Underweight (<23) | 7 (7.5) | 13 (6.1) | |
| Normal (23–32) | 57 (61.3) | 124 (58.2) | |
| Overweight (≥33) | 29 (31.2) | 76 (35.7) | |
| Pre‐existing medical conditions | |||
| Women with no pre‐existing medical condition | 96 (44.2) | 187 (47.1) | |
| Women with ≥1 pre‐existing medical condition | 107 (49.3) | 191 (48.1) | |
| HIV | 74 (34.1) | 130 (32.7) | 0.46 |
| Hypertension | 24 (11.1) | 41 (10.3) | 0.78 |
| Endocrine disorders | 8 (3.7) | 19 (4.8) | 0.41 |
| TB | 13 (6.0) | 11 (2.8) | 0.01 |
| Asthma | 8 (3.7) | 12 (3.0) | 0.48 |
| Chronic cardiac disease | 7 (3.2) | 8 (2.0) | 0.34 |
| Other | 4 (1.8) | 8 (2.0) | ** |
| Chronic kidney disease | 3 (1.4) | 1 (0.3) | ** |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 3 (1.4) | 1 (0.3) | ** |
| Hematological disorders | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.0) | ** |
| Psychiatric disorders | 2 (0.9) | 2 (0.5) | ** |
| Autoimmune disease | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.8) | ** |
| Cancer | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.5) | ** |
| Chronic neurologic disease | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.3) | ** |
| Chronic liver disease | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.3) | ** |
| Gestational age at time of COVID‐19 (weeks) | n = 202 | n = 372 | |
| <14 | 3 (1.5) | 12 (3.2) | |
| 14–22 | 10 (5.0) | 10 (2.7) | |
| 22–27 | 27 (13.4) | 17 (4.6) | |
| 28–31 | 50 (24.8) | 40 (10.8) | |
| 32–36 | 73 (36.1) | 116 (31.2) | |
| ≥37 | 39 (19.3) | 177 (47.6) | |
| Maternal symptoms at diagnosis of COVID‐19 | |||
| Cough | 169 (77.9) | 146 (36.8) | <0.0001 |
| Shortness of breath | 148 (68.2) | 49 (12.3) | <0.0001 |
| Fever | 94 (43.3) | 108 (27.2) | 0.0001 |
| Sore throat | 40 (18.4) | 41 (10.3) | 0.02 |
| Tiredness/lethargy | 36 (16.6) | 16 (4.0) | <0.0001 |
| Headache | 34 (15.7) | 32 (8.1) | 0.01 |
| Other | 31 (14.3) | 31 (7.8) | 0.04 |
| Limb or joint pain | 24 (11.1) | 14 (3.5) | 0.0009 |
| Vomiting | 24 (11.1) | 15 (3.8) | 0.0018 |
| Diarrhea | 10 (4.6) | 8 (2.0) | 0.18 |
| Rhinorrhea | 4 (1.8) | 8 (2.0) | 0.94 |
| Women needing level 3 critical care | 70 (32.3) | 34 (8.6) | <0.0001 |
| Maternal deaths | 32 (14.7) | 7 (1.8) | <0.0001 |
| Suspected primary cause of death | |||
| Severe acute respiratory infection | 26 (81.3) | 3 (42.9) | |
| Other direct cause | 3 (9.4) | 2 (28.6) | |
| Unknown | 3 (9.4) | 1 (14.3) | |
| Hypertensive disorder | 0 (0.0) | 1 (14.3) | |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; MUAC, mid upper arm circumference; TB, tuberculosis.
a
Values are given as number (percentage).