Abstract
Background:Saudi Arabia (SA) reported its first case of COVID-19 on 2 March 2020.
Mortality varied nationwide: by 14 April 2020 Medina had 16% of SA’s
total COVID-19 cases and 40% of all COVID-19 deaths. A team of
epidemiologists investigated to identify factors impacting survival.
Methods:We reviewed medical records from two hospitals: Hospital A in Medina and
Hospital B in Dammam. All patients with a registered COVID-related death
between 1 March -22 April 2020 were included. We collected data on
demographics, chronic health conditions, clinical presentation and
treatment. We analysed data using SPSS.
Results:We identified 76 cases: 38 cases from each hospital. More fatalities
were among non-Saudis at Hospital A (89%) versus Hospital B (82%,p <.001). Hypertension prevalence was higher among cases
at Hospital A (42%) versus Hospital B (21%) (p <.05).
We found statistically significant differences (p <.05)
in symptoms at initial presentation among cases at Hospital A versus
Hospital B, including: body temperature (38º C vs 37º C), heart rate
(104 bpm vs 89 bpm), and regular breathing rhythms (61% vs 55%). Fewer
cases (50%) at Hospital A received heparin versus Hospital B (97%,p -value< 0.001).
Conclusion: Patients who
died at Hospital A typically presented with more severe illness and were
more likely to have underlying health conditions. Migrant workers may be
at increased risk due to poorer baseline health and reluctance to seek
care. This highlights the importance of cross-cultural outreach to
prevent deaths. Health education efforts should be multilingual and
accommodate all literacy levels.