Perfil clínico-epidemiológico y creencias de pacientes con síntomas sospechosos de COVID-19 que no asistieron a una institución de salud, Táchira, 2020 –2021. Clinical-epidemiological profile and beliefs of patients with suspicious symptoms of COVID-19 who did not attend a health institution, Táchira, 2021

Abstract

Patients infected with COVID-19 deserve immediate medical assistance, however, many of them do not go to hospitals for several reasons. In most cases, the infection is self-limited, but in a small proportion presents more severe symptoms and COVID-19 has a mortality rate of 3%. Objective: to describe the epidemiological and clinical profile and opinions of patients with suspicious symptoms of COVID-19 who did not attend a health institution, San Cristobal, Tachira state, October 2020 to March 2021. Method: quantitative approach, descriptive type, with non-experimental design and cross section. The calculation was made by means of the number inhabitants of San Cristobal, Tachira state, with inclusion criteria: living in the city of San Cristobal, having suffered symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 6 months and not having attended a hospitable center. A questionnaire was carried out with Google Forms and closed questions. Results: 78% of the participants had no underlying pathologies, 76% of them had contact with a previously suspicious patient, 62% had mild symptoms, 37% received medical advice across medical teleconsultation, 53% suffered sequelae 2 months later after the pathology is over. Conclusions: most of the patients had a mild condition and had previous contact with a suspicious case, a low number took advantage of medical teleconsultation.