AUTHOR=Coronado-Vázquez Valle , Benito-Alonso Elena , Holgado-Juan Marina , Dorado-Rabaneda Maria Silvia , Bronchalo-González Cristina , Gómez-Salgado Juan 

TITLE=Telephone Monitoring of Isolated Patients With Suspected COVID-19 Disease in Primary Care: Prospective Cohort Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604747

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604747

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> Isolation of suspected cases of COVID-19 has been shown effective in reducing disease transmission and monitoring these patients from primary care allows to detect complications. The objective of this study is to determine the evolution of a cohort of patients with suspected COVID-19, and to analyse the factors associated with hospital admissions due to their unfavourable evolution.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Prospective cohort study. A cohort of 166 patients with COVID-19 symptoms was selected and was followed-up by telephone calls during 14 days of home isolation.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> By the end of the follow-up, a hospital admission had taken place in 14.7% of patients. The mean survival time until admission among diabetics was 12.6, 10.9 days for chronic kidney diseases, and 9.3 days in immunocompromised patients. Immunosuppression was a risk factor for admission over 50 years of age.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Hospital admissions for suspected cases of COVID-19 are associated with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and immunosuppression. Telephone monitoring of these patients from primary care allows for home isolation and early detection of disease complications.</p>