Abstract:
On 1 August 2020, South Africa’s Minister of Health announced that more than half of a
million coronavirus cases were confirmed in the country. South Africa was by far the hardest-hit
country in Africa, accounting for half of all infections reported across the continent. The prevalence of
underlying conditions such as fever and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) has been known known to
be a significant determinant in the hospitalisation of COVID-19 patients. Low oxygen saturation on
admission was reported as a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. The study
sought to assess the association between body temperature and other clinical risk factors with low
SpO2 among COVID-19 inpatient case fatalities. A quantitative retrospective study was carried out
in Limpopo Province, employing secondary data from the Limpopo Department of Health (LDoH)
on COVID-19 inpatients case fatalities across all districts in the province. The chi-square test and
Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to assess the relationship between body temperature and
clinical risk factors with SpO2 levels. The findings of this paper indicated that age (older age), chills,
sore throat, anosmia, dysgeusia, myalgia/body aches, diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS were associated with
low SpO2 in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. Nasal prongs and a face mask with a reservoir
for respiratory support cannula were commonly used patient interfaces to provide supplemental
oxygen, with the use of only a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) being minimal (7%). The majority of
COVID-19 inpatient fatalities had normal body temperature (<38 C) and SpO2, with no correlation
between the two variables. Considering temperature screening as a possible strategy to combat the
spread of COVID-19 or suspicious COVID-19 cases appeared, then, to be a pointless exercise. This
study aimed to recommend new clinical criteria for detecting COVID-19 cases.
