Comparison of Clinical Manifestations and Risk Factors of Death in Two Age Groups Less and More Than 50 Years in Patients with COVID-19 Ehsan Sharifipour

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 180 countries and has killed more than half a million people up to now. Risk factors for death are not yet fully identified. Objectives: The present study aimed at comparing the clinical manifestations and risk factors for death between two groups of patients with COVID-19 aged under and above 50 in Qom Province, Iran. Methods: The current retrospective cohort study was conducted on 178 patients with COVID-19 in Qom Province. Patients were followed up until recovery or death. The source population was divided into four groups, of which 45 patients were randomly enrolled in the study. The first group included patients aged less than 50 discharged after recovery; the second group included patients less than 50 years who died from COVID-19; the third group consisted of patients above 50 discharged after recovery, and the fourth group included patients above 50 who died from COVID-19. The data, including COVID-19 clinical symptoms and presumptive risk factors for death, were collected and compared between groups. Results: The most common symptoms in hospitalized patients were shortness of breath (82.6%), cough (73.6%), and fever (71.9%), respectively. In the age group above 50, the prevalence of fever in the recovered subjects was higher than that of the ones who died from the disease (81.8% Vs. 53.3%). Headache and loss of senses of smell and taste were also more common in both age groups in the recovered subjects. In the age group under 50, subjects who died had higher BMI values, but in the age group above 50, subjects who died had lower BMIs. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that obesity could be a risk factor for death in the age group under 50. The results also indicated that in both age groups, extrapulmonary symptoms were more common in recovered patients.