Institutional Cost of Acute Respiratory Infection

"Introduction: The new pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which produces COVID-19 (from the English acronym of coronavirus disease-19) has become a threat to the world population, with a significant impact due to the economic burden of the disease. Objective: To determine the institutional cost of acute respiratory infection in patients treated at the ""Ramón López Peña"" polyclinic in the period from January to June 2021. Methods: A retrospective study of the cost description type was conducted. The methodological approach used was the cost of the disease. Costs were classified as direct, total and average and were expressed in Cuban pesos. The perspective of analysis adopted was the institutional one. The study universe consisted of 88 patients. The variables studied were age, month of the year, suspected case of COVID-19. In the calculation of the total institutional cost, the variables cost for medicines, diagnostic means, salaries, healing materials and other services were considered. Results: A total of 3633 patients were treated, there was a predominance of the age group of 20 to 59 years and the month of June was the one with the highest incidence with 726 patients. The total institutional cost of care for patients with acute respiratory infection was 470,273.92 Cuban pesos, with a unit cost according to days/patient of 508.95 Cuban pesos and an average cost according to number of patients of 5344.02 Cuban pesos. Conclusions: During the COVID 19 pandemic, the cost of care for patients with acute respiratory infection was high, if it is taken into account that all patients investigated with fever or any respiratory manifestation were treated in this service, which allowed the diagnosis and timely treatment of the novel disease. © 2022, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved."

The pos-COVID-19 syndrome in patients with coronavirus disease

Introduction: Postcovid syndrome is a new and unique phenomenon. Its symptoms, particularly extreme fatigue, can have knock-on effects on a person's quality of life.