Primary healthcare response to COVID 19 in a district of callao, Peru

Abstract

Objectives: Describe the clinical characteristics and home care of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in a Primary Healthcare Facility of the “Mi Peru” district, in the Callao Region, Peru. Materials and methods: Observational and descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 84 subjects with positive results for Rapid Test IgM / IgG or molecular test (RT-PCR) participated. Results: Of the sample, 59.5% (n=50) were males, 60.7% (n=51) aged 30 to 59 years and 21.4% (n=18) aged 60 to over of age, 67.9% (n=57) were positive on the rapid test and the rest on the molecular test. Diabetes and high blood pressure were the main pathological antecedents. Among the most frequent clinical manifestations were general malaise, fever and cough, with 40.5% (n=34), 36.9% (n=31) and 31% (n=26), respectively. The most frequently prescribed medications were acetaminophen and azithromycin, 25% (n=21), and 21.4% (n=18), respectively. Regarding home monitoring of patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the first week was performed with a higher proportion of those affected, progressively decreasing in the second week. Conclusions: Evidence of an important response to COVID-19 is shown in the scenario of the first level of care. Mild and moderate cases can be treated outpatient and complemented with home monitoring, contributing to the containment of the pandemic.