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Comparison of Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Laboratory Findings of COVID-19 Patients by Age Groups

Objective: In this study, we determined the symptoms of the COVID-19 and defined agespecific symptoms that can help diagnose the disease on hospital admission. Materials and Methods: Patients who visited a university hospital’s adult pandemia outpatient clinic with suspected COVID-19 symptoms and tested with SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test between March 17 – May 17, 2020, were included in the study. Demographic data, symptoms on admission, prognostic laboratory tests and hospitalization were recorded. Results: Out of 5289 admissions, 639 (12.1%) patients had suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Patients were sorted incident to age groups to determine the difference in demographic data, comorbidities, symptoms, prognostic laboratory findings and outcome. The exposure history was lower in the 65-79 age group, contrary to the ≥ 80 age group. Sore throat, loss of smell and taste, headache and myalgia were specific to the 18-49 age group (p<0.001). Shortness of breath was represented 2.31 and 2.79 times higher in the 65-79 and the ≥ 80 age group, respectively, than the 18-49 age group. Comorbid diseases, prognostic laboratory tests (lymphopenia, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, ferritin) and hospitalization were found significantly higher in the ≥ 65 age group than the 18-49 age group. Conclusion: This study identifies the varieties in comorbidities, symptoms, prognostic laboratory findings and outcomes between the age-grouped patients referred to the outpatient clinic with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. We found that comorbidities, poor prognostic factors and hospitalization are more common in patients over 65 years. Shortness of breath is the most common symptom seen in the ≥ 65 age group compared to the 18-49 age group, where sore throat, loss of taste and smell are the symptoms commonly seen. Predominant symptoms for age groups help physicians differentiate the disease in clinical practice.