Background: The time for PCR positivity to negativity is defined as nucleic acid conversion time (NCT) and is very important in terminating the isolation of patients and determining infectiousness in patients with COVID-19. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the median NCT and to evaluate the clinical and laboratory parameters affecting it in patients with COVID-19. Methods: This study included 318 mild to moderate patients with COVID-19 diagnosed with PCR positivity retrospectively. Results: The median NCT was 11 days. Patients were divided into 2 groups as early (<11 days) and late conversion (>=11 days). Older age, sore throat, onset fever, fever 72 hours after hospitalization, history of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus without a mask and moderated disease were significantly more common in the late conversion group. In addition, favipiravir use was higher in early conversion group and hydroxychloroquine use was higher in late conversion group. In multivariate analysis, sore throat (OR = 2.570; 95% CI: 1.051-6.284) and hydroxychloroquine use (OR = 3.518, 95% CI: 1.163-10.635) were independent risk factors for late conversion. Favipiravir use (OR = 0.062, 95% CI: 0.021-0.184) negatively affected the late conversion. Conclusion: NCT was longer in patients with COVID-19 who had sore throat at admission and were treated with hydroxychloroquine instead of favipiravir. Keywords: COVID-19, Nucleic Acids, Polymerase Chain Reaction, SARS-CoV-2.

Aims: Metabolic Syndrome has become the greatest health hazard in the modern world, along with infectious diseases. We aimed to evaluate the effects of metabolic syndrome on disease course, laboratory values and mortality in patients with COVID 19 pneumonia. Methods: COVID 19 pneumonia patients with and without metabolic syndrome were compared in terms of laboratory parameters, clinical results and mortality rates retrospectively. Results: A total of 194 patients hospitalized with COVID 19 pneumonia (with and without metabolic syndrome n = 93 and 101, respectively) were included in the study. Patients with metabolic syndrome had lower oxygen saturation at the time of admission (88.76 vs 93.66 p <0.0001), higher neutrophil (5.85 vs 4.81 p = 0.02) and CRP levels (88.36 vs 62.93 p = 0.009) and COVID 19 involvement was more common in lung tomography (12.3 vs 7.7 p <0.0001). Total length of stay (12.3 vs 6.5 days p <0.0001) and clinical length of stay (7.8 vs 5.9 days p = 0.003) were longer in patients with metabolic syndrome. Requirement of intensive care (45.2% vs 4.9% p <0.0001) and mortality rates (24.7% vs 0.9% p <0.0001) were higher in patients with metabolic syndrome. Presence of metabolic syndrome (OR 32.86, 95% CI 4.34 to 249 p<0.05) were significantly associated with increased mortality. Discussion and conclusion: Our results demonstrated that patients with metabolic syndrome that were hospitalized with COVID 19 pneumonia had significantly higher mortality and intensive care requirement. They have lower oxygen saturations, higher CRP levels and more widespread radiological involvement. Keywords: Covid 19 - Metabolic syndrome – Pneumonia - Mortality