• ÖZ

To evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) but who were not confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to two tertiary care centers between March 15 andMay 15, 2020, with a diagnosis of COVID-19. From a common database prepared for COVID-19, we retrieved the relevant data andcompared the clinical findings and outcomes of PCR-positive patients with those of PCR-negative cases who had been diagnosed on thebasis of typical clinical and radiographic findings.RESULTS: A total of 349 patients were included in the analysis, of which 126 (36.1%) were PCR-negative. PCR-negative patients wereyounger (54.6 ± 20.8 vs. 60.8 ± 18.9 years, P = .009) but were similar to PCR-positive patients in terms of demographics, comorbidities,and presenting symptoms. They had higher lymphocyte counts (1519 ± 868 vs. 1331 ± 737/mm3, P = .02) and less frequently presentedwith bilateral radiographic findings (68.3% vs. 79.4%, P = .046) than PCR-positive patients. Besides, they had less severe disease andbetter clinical outcomes regarding admission to the intensive care unit (9.6% vs. 20.6%, P = .023), oxygen therapy (21.4% vs. 43.5%, P< .001), ventilatory support (3.2% vs. 11.2%, P = .03) and length of hospital stay (5.0 ± 5.0 vs. 9.7 ± 5.9 days, P < .001).CONCLUSION: This study confirms that about one-third of the COVID-19 patients are PCR-negative and diagnosed based on clinicaland radiographic findings. These patients have a more favorable clinical course, shorter hospital stays, and are less frequently admittedto the intensive care unit.