Abstract Body

Background and purpose:

COVID-19 has posed a challenge to Primary Care (PC). This study aims to describe the resources required by patients who were seen in an urban PC center during the first epidemic wave.

Methods:

Retrospective descriptive study on a patients cohort seen in a PC center in Barcelona. All patients included presented symptoms compatible with possible or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, between 24th February and 30th May, 2020. Data collected from electronic medical record and by telephone interview were evaluated.

Results:

518 patients were included. 283 (54.6%) were women. Mean age was 50.2 years. Patients took a mean of 3.7±4.7 days to contact the healthcare system. 71.8% contacted PC as their first option. 55.25% required medical work leave. The mean number of days of sickness leave was 35.8±26.4. Doctors made 5.2±4.5 phone calls per patient and nurses made 3±3.7. 137(26.4%) required face-to-face assessment, with 0.4 (range 0-4) visits per patient. 24 (4.6%) required home visits, with 0.1 (range 0-3) visits per patient. 4.2% were seen by the centre's social worker. 31.5% were seen in the hospital emergency department. 20.1% required hospital admission. 2.7% required intensive care. The mean number of days of hospitalization was 15.5±13.7 (range 1-76). 1.7% required admission to a socio-health care centre. 4.6% were admitted to a medicalised hotel.

Conclusions:

PC is the most frequently management resource used by COVID-19 patients. Most of them required exclusive outpatient follow-up. The vast majority could be managed by telephone. The epidemic resulted in high absenteeism from work during the first wave.

Abstract Body

Background and purpose:

COVID-19 has posed a challenge for Primary Care (PC). This study aims to describe the characteristics, symptoms and evolution of patients seen in a PC centre during the first epidemic wave.

Methods:

Retrospective descriptive study on a patients cohort seen in a PC center in Barcelona. All patients included presented symptoms compatible with possible or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, between 24th February and 30th May, 2020. Data collected from electronic medical record and by telephone interview were evaluated.

Results:

518 patients were included. 283 (54.6%) were women. Mean age was 50.2 years. 81.9% were Spanish. 35.1% had occupational exposure to COVID-19. 38.8% had no previous pathological history. Among those with medical history: 19.3% hypertension, 17.8% obesity, 9.5% diabetes, 8.5% cancer, 7.3% anxiety/depression, 6.4% asthma. 45.2% were not on any chronic medication.

The presenting symptoms were: fever 75.7%, cough 72.0%, malaise 70.0%, asthenia 65.6%, arthromyalgia 53.2%, headache 51.1%, dyspnoea 38.9%, anosmia/dysgeusia 37.7%, diarrhoea 37.2%, odynophagia 31.1%, chills 25.3%, nasal congestion 23.6%, expectoration 22.2%, chest pain 22.1%, nausea/vomiting 16.8%, dizziness 14.2%, conjunctivitis 6.2%, haemoptysis 2.9%. The mean number of days with fever 7.1±6.9.

Complications developed were: pneumonia (21.4%), anxiety/depression (6.4%), acute kidney injury (1.5%), PTE (1.2%) and pericarditis (1%).

Mortality was 2.3%. 84.7% recovered completely, 2.3% had sequelae and 10.6% were recovering at the end of the study.

Conclusions:

A significant proportion of patients in the first COVID-19 wave were occupationally exposed to the infection. Most had relevant pathological history. Predominant symptoms were fever, cough, malaise and asthenia. Over 85% of patients made a complete recovery.