Objectives: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of the first 69,382 patients with COVID-19 infection in Oman.
Methods: A retrospective case series study of patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Oman from 24 February to 23 July 2020. The data were obtained from the National surveillance COVID-19 network.
Results: The overall mean age of patients was 34 (± 14) years, 74% (n = 51,391) were males, 40,859 (59%) were Omani citizens, and 28,523 (41%) were foreign-born individuals. The most common symptoms at presentation were fever 50% (n = 34,600), cough 46% (n = 32,062), sore throat 46% (n = 31,953) and shortness of breath (SOB) 35% (n = 24,567). Overall, 8,960 (12.9%) patients required hospitalization with 1189 (13.3%) individuals requiring admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mechanical ventilation (MV). Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection were mostly Omani nationals and males between 30 and 39 years old (p < 0.001). The mortality rate was 7.7 per 100,000 population (n = 359) with rates of 9.4 (n = 278) and 4.8 (n = 81) deaths per 100,000 population in Omani nationals and foreign-born individuals, respectively. Females hospitalized with COVID-19 had a mean age of 64 (± 18) years versus a mean age of 55 (± 17) years in males. Mean age of patients with COVID-19-related mortality was 58 (± 18) years with significant differences in mean age between females and males 64 (± 18) versus 55 (± 17) years, respectively.
Conclusions: Young Omani males accounted for the highest incidence of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization, while mortality rates were higher among males and the older age (> 50 years). Identifying the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19-infected patients is essential for developing targeted intervention strategies and preparing for the resurgence of anticipated second and third waves of this pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiological characteristics; Oman; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2.
© 2021. The Author(s).