Eligibility Criteria
Patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 (approved by a Real-Time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test of nasopharyngeal specimens) and
had been admitted based on the national criteria for hospitalization (a
sustained peripheral oxygen saturation of under 93% and/or a
respiratory rate of over 30/minute or sustained nausea and vomiting and
severe weakness even with normal oxygen saturation), were brought into
the study upon discharge. The current national discharge criteria
dictate that prior to discharge patients must have at least two
consecutive afebrile days with a blood oxygen saturation of over 90%,
oral intake without nausea, and improvement in weakness. The exclusion
criteria were a negative RT-PCR result or lack of documentation of a
positive result at the initial hospitalization.