Introduction: Since the first reported case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) in Poland, the worldwide pandemic has spread throughout the country, leading to many hospital admissions. There has been an urgent need to determine clinical characteristics of Polish patients with laboratory‑confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV 2) infection in the clinical setting.
Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to outline characteristics and short‑ term outcomes of SARS‑CoV‑2-positive patients.
Patients and methods: We retrospectively assessed 169 consecutive patients with laboratory‑ confirmed COVID‑ 19 with regard to their clinical manifestations, radiological findings, treatment, complications, and outcomes.
Results: Of the 169 patients, more than half was aged 65 years or older (88; 52.1%), 51.5% were male, and 78.3% had comorbidities. The majority of patients (106; 62.7%) were transferred from outbreak locations in medical facilities. The most common symptoms on admission were fever (42%), shortness of breath (35%), and fatigue (33%). Twenty seven (15.4%) patients required intensive care unit admission. Overall mortality was 26.3% (n = 46) and was significantly higher in patients transferred from other facilities (38 out of 106; 35.8%), than in patients admitted directly to the hospital (8 out of 63; 12.69%; P <0.001). Seventeen out of 29 patients admitted to the intensive care unit died (mortality, 58.6%), including 30 out of 41 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (73.2% mortality rate).
Conclusions: Polish patients with COVID‑19 have similar characteristics and risk factors for adverse outcomes to those observed in countries in which outbreaks occurred earlier. Significantly higher mortality in patients transferred from other centers warrants special attention and transfer policy should be verified.