Clinical and epidemiological profile of patients infected by COVID-19 at a tertiary care centre in North India

A worldwide outbreak of a respiratory illness, first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China is ongoing. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and on February 11, 2020, was officially named Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization. Within few weeks, it has spread globally to the extent that World Health Organization declared it as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. India’s first positive case was reported on January 30^th in Kerala. Before March 3^rd, India had 3 cases of coronavirus in Kerala all of which were treated and discharged. On March 3^rd, India’s 4^th case was diagnosed in the state of Rajasthan. Indian government had announced a number of preventive measures to minimize the entry and spread of coronavirus. On March 3^rd, India announced the suspension of all visas issued to Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan. India banned international flights from March 22^nd. A 21-day lockdown across the country was imposed from March 26^th, which later got further extended. Rigorous contact tracing and tracking of COVID patients and monitoring home quarantine helped in preventing community transmission. The aim of this work is to describe the experience with clinical and epidemiologic features, as well as with the management of COVID-19 patients in north India. This is a descriptive study of the 17 COVID-19 infected patients confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and admitted to a tertiary care centre in India from March 11^th 2020 to April 16^th 2020. The present work also provides insight in to treatment provided and final outcome of the patients infected with COVID-19 in India. Laboratory investigations in COVID-19 patients in the Indian subcontinent reveal lymphopenia as predominant finding in hemogram. Patients with older age and associated comorbidities (COPD, hypertension and diabetes) seem to have greater risk for lung injury, thereby requiring oxygen support during the course of disease.