Epidemiología, clínica y distribución temporal de los casos confirmados y sospechosos de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) atendidos por un centro de salud urbano (Cáceres)

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experience about healthcare provided to suspected COVID-19 patients in a typical primary healthcare center during the alarm period. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Primary healthcare centre Zona Centro in Cáceres. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive suspected COVID-19 patients attended from March 2 to June 21, 2020. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Age, sex, most frequent symptoms attributed to the infection, duration of symptoms, days to epidemiological discharge, comorbidities, treatments, diagnostic methods, referrals to hospital emergencies, hospitalized patients, patients suffering from pneumonia, deaths, diagnostic setting and alarm period phase. RESULTS: 464 patients were included; 53 were confirmed by PCR and 90 by serology. A 81.1% of PCR diagnoses were made during the first 4 weeks of the confinement period. Twenty-nine patients were referred to hospital (6.2%). Seven died (rate 0.52/1,000). Cough, fever, asthenia and digestive symptomswerepredominant in suspected cases; cough, dyspnea and feverin those confirmed ones. Cardiovascular diseaseand chronic renal disease were more frequent in the latter group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate was similar to the Spanish one. Epidemiological and clinical variables correspond to those described in other areas. Those diagnosed by PCR were concentrated in the first half of the confinement period.