ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To know the characteristics of the initial care and telephone follow-up of patients with suspected COVID-19 in the first wave of the pandemic. DESIGN: Observational, retrospective (audit of medical records). LOCATION: Urban Primary Care Center of Andalusia (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: Probable cases of SARS-CoV-2 (from 20/03/15 to 20/06/15). PRINCIPAL MEASUREMENTS: Initial medical assessment (place and modality) and telephone follow-up (number of calls and duration). Sociodemographic variables (including family structure). Clinical course (symptoms, vulnerability, tests, hospital admission and outcome). RESULTS: Three hundred one patients (51.5±17.8 years; 23% vulnerable people; 17% non-nuclear family structure). First assessment in Primary Care by phone (59.8%) and face-to-face (25.2%). At the hospital emergency department (11%), patients were more frequently from non-nuclear families (P<.05 χ2) and more tests were carried out (P<.05 χ2) despite having similar symptoms. Vulnerable elderly patients needed home health care (P<.01 ANOVA). 8.2±4.4 follow-up phone calls were made per patient, for 17.1±10.3 days. It increases after ≥2 face-to-face consultations (OR 4.8), the presence of alarm symptoms (OR 2.3) and age ≥45 years (OR 2.0). Few confirmatory tests were performed (19.3% antigenic, 13% serology). The 15.3% hospital admissions (all assessed previously in Primary Care), with 6.3% severe cases and 2.3% death. CONCLUSION: Population chose to be attended in Primary Care during the pandemic first wave, above all by phone. Telephone follow-up was well accepted and useful to select patients with serious complications. Initial medical assessment in the hospital emergency department was related to a lack of social support but not with greater clinical severity.