Disproportionate incidence of COVID-19 infection, hospitalizations, and deaths among persons identifying as Hispanic or Latino - Denver, Colorado March-October 2020

Podewils, L. J.; Burket, T. L.; Mettenbrink, C.; Steiner, A.; Seidel, A.; Scott, K.; Cervantes, L.; Hasnain-Wynia, R.

This article aimed to present two patients with COVID-19 infection without other pulmonary comorbidities that developed spontaneous pneumothorax. The first case present a 34-year-old male was admitted complaining of sudden dyspnea starting one day before. He also reported diarrhea in the last two weeks. There was no history of trauma or comorbidities. At admission, the patient was afebrile. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), blood pressure (BP), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) with 2L/minute of supplemental oxygen (O2) were 112 beats per minute, 24 breaths per minute, 100/90mmHg and 93%, respectively. Thoracic examination showed hypersonority to percussion and abolished vesicular murmur in the left hemithorax. Test swab oropharynx with polymerase chain reaction test for real-time reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR) was positive for COVID-19. High-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) scan showed bilateral consolidations and ground-glass opacities with peripheral predominance, compromising around 50% of the lung parenchyma, and pneumothorax on the left side with deviation of contralateral mediastinal structures and ipsilateral lung collapse. Thoracic drainage was performed in the left pleural space with clinical stabilization. The patient is still hospitalized and stable, needing oxygen supplementation. The second case present a 62-year-old and ex-smoker (18 pack-years) male was admitted to the emergency department with anosmia, fever, general malaise, dry cough and dyspnea that started twenty days before, with worsening cough and dyspnea in the last day. At admission, he was afebrile, and HR, RR, and BP were 97 beats per minute, 21 breaths per minute, and 220/110 mmHg, respectively. The initial SpO2 was 81% on room air and 91% with a non-reigning mask with 9L/min of O2. Nasopharynx swab RT-PCR for COVID-19 was positive. HRCT showed bilateral pulmonary consolidations with air bronchograms and ground-glass opacities and, right pneumothorax which has been drained. The patient remains hospitalized and stable.