Characteristics of the COVID-19 Patients Treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study

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dc.contributor.authorOkot, Christopher
dc.contributor.authorBaguma, Steven
dc.contributor.authorAlema Onira, Nelson
dc.contributor.authorOdong Agings, Willis
dc.contributor.authorArwinyo, Baifa
dc.contributor.authorElima, James
dc.contributor.authorApiyo, Paska
dc.contributor.authorLayet, Paska
dc.contributor.authorPebalo Pebolo, Francis
dc.contributor.authorAcullu, Denis
dc.contributor.authorOloya, Johnson Nyeko
dc.contributor.authorOyat, Freddy Wathum Drinkwater
dc.contributor.authorOola, Janet
dc.contributor.authorAloyo, Judith
dc.contributor.authorIkoona, Eric Nzirakaindi
dc.contributor.authorKitara, David Lagoro
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-20T12:30:39Z
dc.date.available2024-02-20T12:30:39Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.descriptionWe acknowledge with many thanks to the support from the administration of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital for the information obtained. Dr. Laban Oketcho, Dr. Anek Janet Schola, Dr. Baguma Steven, and Mr. Dominic Ogwal Savio for the well-collected data from the archives of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. We also thank Mr. Lawrence Obalim for the data analysis well conducted. In addition, financial support from UMA Acholi branch members, which enabled the team to conduct this study successfully, is most appreciated. In honour of our two fallen colleagues (Co-authors), Dr. Paska Layet and Dr. Oola Janet, may their souls rest in peace!en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory disease that results from infection with a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). One of the most critical issues related to the COVID-19 is the high rate of spread, millions of people have been infected around the world, and hundreds of thousands of people have died till now. However, reports from Africa paint a different picture of the SARS-CoV-2 and its effects on the population. Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of the COVID-19 patients treated at the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and determine factors associated with COVID-19 manifestations, socio-demographic characteristics, and treatment outcomes from March 2020 to October 2021. Methods: A retrospective data abstraction of all COVID-19 hospital admissions registered in the Gulu Health Management Information System (HMIS) database and other tools were conducted. The period of study was from March 2020 to October 2021. Data that met the inclusion criteria were consecutively abstracted from the Gulu Hospital HMIS database. A local IRB approved the study. SPSS version 25.0 was used for data analysis, and a p-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Data suggests there were three waves of COVID-19 in Uganda. Those with comorbidities, e.g., Diabetes mellitus 38(5.7%), hypertension 83(12.5%), cardiovascular diseases 58(8.7%), HIV and AIDS 61(9.2%), and other comorbidities such as liver cirrhosis and Hepatitis B 40(6.0%) were more susceptible and presented with more severe forms of the disease. Antibiotics 662(99.7%), steroids 73(11.0%), vitamin C 564(84.9%), Ivermectin 7(1.1%), and Vitamin D 24(3.6%) were the most used medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Most COVID-19 patients were unvaccinated 661(99.5%). However, the recovery rate was 632(95.2%). The commonest complications were pneumonia 60(9.0%), chronic fatigue 49(7.4%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) 37(5.6%), depression 20(3.0%), systemic infections 19(2.9%), nightmares 15(2.3%) and septic shock 8(1.2%). The Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) on factors associated with recovery were treatment with steroids AOR=138.835 at 95% CI:12.258-1572.50;p<0.000 and Vitamin D AOR=31.4780 at 95% CI:1.902520.98; p=0.016. Conclusion: This study showed successful management of COVID-19 patients in low-resource settings with a recovery rate of 95.2%. The admission pattern suggests Uganda had three waves of COVID-19, contrary to the official government position of two. Treatment with steroids and Vitamin D is associated with the recovery among COVID-19 patients. There is a need to conduct more extensive studies on the role played by the two drugs in the successful recovery of COVID-19 patients.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipIndividual research members of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) Acholi branch.en_US
dc.identifier.issn2332-0877
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/473
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherJournal of Infectious Diseases & Therapyen_US
dc.subjectCOVID-19;en_US
dc.subjectComorbidities;en_US
dc.subjectTreatment;en_US
dc.subjectComplications;en_US
dc.subjectSteroids;en_US
dc.subjectVitamin-Den_US
dc.titleCharacteristics of the COVID-19 Patients Treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Studyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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