Clinical protocol for early treatment of COVID-19 in a real-world scenario: Results of a series of patients

INTRODUCTION: Despite the advance in vaccination, the SARS-CoV-2 infection remains a challenge for the medical community. Outpatient and hospital therapy for COVID-19 are still improving. Our study aimed to report the results of a series of patients with COVID-19 who participated in an outpatient treatment protocol since the first clinical manifestation. METHODS: A case series report of individuals aged ≥ 18 years with clinical symptoms and a confirmed test for COVID-19 submitted to a treatment protocol. Patients were enrolled between May and September 2020 and followed for at least 15 days. The assessed clinical outcomes were the need for hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, orotracheal intubation, and death. RESULTS: We studied a 116 patients. The mean age was 48 ± 14 years. Females formed 53%. The main comorbidities wereobesity (15.5%), systemic arterial hypertension (10.3%) ,type II diabetes (6%), and lung diseases (6.0%). Temperature > 37.7 °C (51.7%), cough (55.2%), myalgia (37.1%), headache (37.9%), and fatigue (34.5%) were the most frequent signs and symptoms. According to different disease staging, the most administered drugs were: azithromycin, ivermectin, corticosteroid, antibiotics, and anticoagulants. There was no death, and hospitalization accounted for only 8.6% of the patients (1 in ICU); none required orotracheal intubation. The mean length of hospital stay was 5.8 days.