RESUMEN
The authors report on their experience of managing COVID-19 at the Regional hospital of Lambaréné, capital of the Moyen-Ogooué province in central Gabon.The infectious diseases department was the referral and follow-up site for COVID-19, with an intervention team to follow up outpatients. The department followed national recommendations for overall management with mild cases receiving vitamin therapy, moderate cases hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, severe cases azithromycin, another antibiotic and oxygen.Over 1 year in 2020, 495 cases (RT-PCR +) were recruited; 92 were hospitalized (comorbidities or severe signs). The average duration of hospitalization was 21 +/- 3 days.These 92 cases are composed of 38 mild cases all cured by symptomatic treatments; 32 moderate cases treated and cured; and 26 severe cases treated with azithromycin plus a second antibiotic with 24 cured without sequelae, 1 with sequelae and 1 death (co-infected with HIV).The 399 cases followed up in the outpatient department all recovered and are distributed as follows: 199 asymptomatic and without co-morbidity, untreated; 102 with mild signs under vitamins; 98 with moderate signs treated with azithromycin + HCHQ + vitamins.In total, all 495 cases recovered without sequelae except for 1 patient with sequelae and 1 death; 199 received no treatment. However, 6 deaths occurred before the diagnosis was made. This strategy encountered difficulties in terms of overloading the carers and feeding the patients.