Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Kish Island from February to August 2020

Abstract

Background: In March 2020, the world health organization declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease. Kish is a touristic island that is located in the south of Iran. The aim of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology of COVID-19 on Kish island. Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, the residents of Kish Island, Iran, who were checked with COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from February to August 2020 were included. The PCR test was obtained from symptomatic individuals or those people who had exposure to suspected COVID-19 cases. Data were collected from their medical records and analyzed based on their PCR test results. Results: A total of 4859 individuals were checked with COVID-19 PCR test. The result was positive in 1251 (25.75%) cases and negative in 3608 (74.25%). The mean age was 37.32 years. The majority of the individuals were men. Most of the participants were office employees. The number of housewives was approximately double in COVID-19 positive patients compared with the patients with negative results. About 40% of the individuals with positive results had a history of exposure to suspected COVID-19 cases. The prevalence of exposure to suspected COVID-19 cases and recent travel was significantly higher among positive cases (P<0.001). There was a significant correlation between the delay between the onset of the symptoms and performing PCR. Longer delays were seen among the deceased patients. Conclusion: It seems that more precise policies should be taken to avoid contact with symptomatic patients and people who had a history of travel to the island.