Characteristics of the hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: The pandemic of COVID-19 has caused an international epidemiologic contingency at the moment.

Objective: To characterize the hospitalizations due to the COVID-19.

Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional investigation was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from March to May, 2020, of the 3 491 patients admitted due to the COVID-19 in the different units designated for it according to established categories: "suspected" (presumed case), "confirmed" (patient with positive result for the SARS-CoV-2 virus) or "contact" (someone that had had some type of contact with a contaminated person). Also, demographic variables were analyzed by age and sex and some others were taken into account, such as residence place, number of beds in hospitals, classification of patients and number of polymerase chain reaction tests carried out in real time.

Results: It was obtained that the municipality of Santiago de Cuba presented the highest number of people infected by the coronavirus and that Dr. Ambrosio Grillo Portuondo Clinical Surgical University Hospital admitted a higher percentage of patients (70.7 %); in a same way, most of the series corresponded to the 25 to 59 age group and the female sex. It was outstanding that the polymerase chain reaction test in real time was carried out to 83.3 % of admitted patients.

Conclusions: Taking the sociodemographic approach as a starting point, with this study the incidence of cases associated with the COVID-19 in Santiago de Cuba province could be evaluated according to the available beds for the hospitalization and the established classification to such an effect (suspected, confirmed and contacts).