| Summary: | Background: Most COVID-19 studies conclude old age and coexisting illnesses as mortality determinants owing to different populations or methodologies, or omitting factors affecting outcomes. Methods: We analyzed COVID-19 patients’ data (N = 391) of Dubai Hospital between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Results: Only 19 patients (4.8%) were UAE nationals, while 372 (95.2%) were expatriates. Median age was 48 (interquartile range, 40–56) years; 22% were <40 years, and only 16.6% were female. Cough was the most common symptom (78.7%), fever was 77.4%, and gastrointestinal symptoms were least common (13.8%). Approximately 95% had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimers (79%), lymphocytopenia 47.3%, and thrombocytopenia 13.8%. Mortality was 30% for the total sample and 50% in ICU patients. ICU patients were older than non-ICU (age; 49.6 ± 10.9 vs. 46.7 ± 12.7 years, p = 0.04). Eighty-five percent of ICU patients required invasive mechanical ventilation, 78% vasopressors, 88% sedation, 84% muscle paralysis, while none require any of these in the medical group. Survivors had fewer patients with sedatives (p = 0.01). The median length of stay in the hospital was 19 days, ICU stays 14 days, and ventilator 11 days. The Mann-Whitney test showed that survivors spent more days in the ICU (median [IQR] 18 [6.5–29.5] vs. 11 [4–18], p value 0.003) and the hospital (32 [14.5–49.5] vs. 14 [7–21], p value 0.001) than nonsurvivors. Ferritin and D-dimers were higher in nonsurvivors, but CRP was lower in nonsurvivors (ferritin (ng/mL) median (IQR) 1,434 (661.5–2206.5) versus 1,362 (630–2,094), p value = 0.017, CRP (mg/L) 118.7 (53.4–184) versus 134.9 (66.5–203.2), p value 0.001 and D-dimer (µg/mL) 1.54 (0–3.13) versus 1.09 (0–2.51), p value = 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis determined age, fever on admission, use of oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and steroids as predictors of survival. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients were young males with pre-existing conditions. Ferritin, CRP, and D-dimers were higher in nonsurvivors. Treatment with chloroquine, antivirals, and anticoagulation was not different between survivors and nonsurvivors. Steroid use was a survival predictor.
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