COVID-19: Clinical Manifestations and Management in Outpatient/Hospitalized Adults

A new coronavirus, emerging toward the end of 2019, rapidly disseminated around the world and resulted in a pandemic. The virus was named as severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease caused by the virus as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 in adults varies from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ dysfunction. Information on the disease and its management has been continuously updated, especially with the development of SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccines against the virus. The disease is generally mild in most patients with COVID-19 and requires no medical intervention or hospitalization; follow-up and treatment in an outpatient setting are adequate. Patients with a risk of severe disease or unvaccinated patients, and elderly patients with comorbidities with dyspnea and deteriorated oxygenation should be admitted, treated and followed up at hospital. Current local sources and the individual evaluation of the patients is important in the management of the disease.