Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34329364›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2021

Description and analysis of representative COVID-19 cases-A retrospective cohort study.

Yannis Herrmann, Tim Starck, Niall Brindl, Philip J Kitchen, Lukas Rädeker, Jakob Sebastian, Lisa Köppel, Frank Tobian, Aurélia Souares, André L Mihaljevic and 6 more

Abstract readClinical TrialComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Yannis HerrmannFaculty of Medicine, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Tim StarckHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Niall BrindlFaculty of Medicine, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2834-664X
Philip J KitchenFaculty of Medicine, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-1681-7838
Lukas RädekerFaculty of Medicine, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Jakob SebastianFaculty of Medicine, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Lisa KöppelDivision of Tropical Medicine, Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4445-7881
Frank TobianDivision of Tropical Medicine, Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Aurélia SouaresHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
André L MihaljevicDepartment of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Uta MerleDepartment of Gastroenterology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Theresa HippchenDepartment of Gastroenterology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Felix HerthDepartment of Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, Chest Hospital, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Britta KnorrDepartment of Public Health, Landratsamt Rhein-Neckar, Heidelberg, Germany.
Andreas WelkerDepartment of Public Health, Landratsamt Rhein-Neckar, Heidelberg, Germany.
Claudia M DenkingerHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7216-7067

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost data on COVID-19 was collected in hospitalized cases. Much less is known about the spectrum of disease in entire populations. In this study, we examine a representative cohort of primarily symptomatic cases in an administrative district in Southern Germany.

methodsWe contacted all confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in the administrative district. Consenting participants answered a retrospective survey either via a telephone, electronically or via mail. Clinical and sociodemographic features were compared between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. Additionally, we assessed potential risk factors for hospitalization and time to hospitalization in a series of regression models.

resultsWe included 897 participants in our study, 69% out of 1,305 total cases in the district with a mean age of 47 years (range 2-97), 51% of which were female and 47% had a pre-existing illness. The percentage of asymptomatic, mild, moderate (leading to hospital admission) and critical illness (requiring mechanical ventilation) was 54 patients (6%), 713 (79%), 97 (11%) and 16 (2%), respectively. Seventeen patients (2%) died. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (65%), cough (62%) and dysgeusia (60%). The risk factors for hospitalization included older age (OR 1.05 per year increase; 95% CI 1.04-1.07) preexisting lung conditions (OR 3.09; 95% CI 1.62-5.88). Female sex was a protective factor (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.33-0.77).

conclusionThis representative analysis of primarily symptomatic COVID-19 cases confirms age, male sex and preexisting lung conditions but not cardiovascular disease as risk factors for severe illness. Almost 80% of infection take a mild course, whereas 13% of patients suffer moderate to severe illness.

trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00022926. URL: https://www.drks.de/drks_web/setLocale_EN.do.

Indexed as

COVID-19HospitalizationSARS-CoV-2AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk Factors

Identifiers

PMID34329364
PMCPMC8323911

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.