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Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education | ISSN: 2161-0711 | Volume 8
&
Medical Sociology & Public Health
3
rd
World Congress on
Public health and Epidemic diseases
International Conference on
September 21-22, 2018 | Dallas, USA
Predictors of MERS-CoV infection: A large case-control study of patients presenting with ILI at a MERS-
CoV referral hospital in Saudi Arabia
Background:
A case-control study to better characterize the clinical features, laboratory and radiological abnormalities
associated with MERS-CoV infection in order to help with early identification of this syndrome from other respiratory
infections.
Methods:
Eighty patients admitted to a hospital in Riyadh, diagnosed with MERS-CoV infection based on RT-PCR were
matched on age, sex and the presence of a co-morbid condition on a basis of 1:2 to other patients admitted with respiratory
symptoms and tested negative for MERS-CoV on RT-PCR.
Results:
None of the reported MERS-CoV presenting symptoms was significantly associated with being infected with MERS-
CoV. On the other hand, the WBC count was significantly lower in patients with confirmed MERS-CoV infection (median 5.7
vs 9.3, P: 0.0004). Neutrophil count was as well significantly lower in MERS-CoV patients (median 3.7 vs 6.7, P: 0.0001). Both
AST and ALT values were significantly higher in MERS-CoV infected group (AST median 42 vs 36, P: 0.03 and ALT median 33
vs 28, P: 0.003). Overall our MERS-CoV mortality rate was (10%) below the national figure of (40%).
Conclusions:
None of the presenting symptoms are specific for MERS-CoV infection and out of all the investigations WBC,
neutrophil counts, AST and ALT values have some predictive utility.
Biography
Sameeh Ghazal, after graduating from medical college in 1982, he has worked as a medical doctor in the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia, initially as a General
Practitioner then as a Pediatric Resident. He was then promoted as a Consultant in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Infection Control. Because of his interest in
clinical research, he obtained the certification in Health Care Epidemiology, Research and Biostatistics. With over 35 years of working in the medical field, he has
gained a wide range of experience in General Pediatrics, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, Healthcare Epidemiology, Clinical Research, Hospital
Accreditation, Hospital Administration and Quality. He also teaches and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.
ghazalkfmc@gmail.comSameeh Ghazal
Prince Mohamed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Sameeh Ghazal, J Community Med Health Educ 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2161-0711-C4-040