Comparison of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adult COVID-19 and influenza patients – a prospective observational study
Raija Auvinen, Hanna Nohynek, Ritva Syrjänen, Jukka Ollgren, Tuija Kerttula, Jarkko Mäntylä, Niina Ikonen, Raisa Loginov, Anu Haveri, Satu Kurkela, Kirsi Skogberg
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We compared the clinical characteristics, findings, and outcomes of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or influenza to detect relevant differences. METHODS: From December 2019 to April 2020, we recruited all eligible hospitalized adults with respiratory infection to a prospective observational study at a tertiary care hospital in Finland. Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections were confirmed by RT-PCR. Follow-up lasted for 3 months from admission. RESULTS: <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral GGOs and consolidations in chest X-ray may help to differentiate COVID-19 from influenza. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients had more severe disease, required longer hospitalization and were admitted to ICU more often than influenza patients, which has important implications for public health policies.