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Clinical spectrum of coronavirus disease 2019 in Iceland: population based cohort study
AbstractObjectiveTo characterise the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19).DesignPopulation based cohort study.SettingIceland.ParticipantsAll individuals who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction...
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Published in: | BMJ (Online) 2020-12, Vol.371, p.m4529-m4529 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | AbstractObjectiveTo characterise the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19).DesignPopulation based cohort study.SettingIceland.ParticipantsAll individuals who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between 17 March and 30 April 2020. Cases were identified by three testing strategies: targeted testing guided by clinical suspicion, open invitation population screening based on self referral, and random population screening. All identified cases were enrolled in a telehealth monitoring service, and symptoms were systematically monitored from diagnosis to recovery.Main outcome measuresOccurrence of one or more of 19 predefined symptoms during follow-up.ResultsAmong 1564 people positive for SARS-CoV-2, the most common presenting symptoms were myalgia (55%), headache (51%), and non-productive cough (49%). At the time of diagnosis, 83 (5.3%) individuals reported no symptoms, of whom 49 (59%) remained asymptomatic during follow-up. At diagnosis, 216 (14%) and 349 (22%) people did not meet the case definition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, respectively. Most (67%) of the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients had mild symptoms throughout the course of their disease.ConclusionIn the setting of broad access to RT-PCR testing, most SARS-CoV-2-positive people were found to have mild symptoms. Fever and dyspnoea were less common than previously reported. A substantial proportion of SARS-CoV-2-positive people did not meet recommended case definitions at the time of diagnosis. |
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ISSN: | 1756-1833 0959-8138 1756-1833 |
DOI: | 10.1136/bmj.m4529 |