THE OUTPATIENT MANAGEMENT OF NON-SERVER FORMS OF COVID-19

Bel Houari M.*, Zalaghi R., Bouhlala N., Zhim I., Bousliman Y. and Tadlaoui Y.

ABSTRACT

On December 8th 2019, an infectious disease in the form of idiopathic pneumonia emerged in Wuhan, and on March 11th 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO due to its unprecedented infectivity and pathogenicity. Subsequently, several clinical trials and diagnostic and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 were rapidly developed, with varying degrees of usefulness in managing the disease. This prospective study aimed to assess the outpatient management of confirmed COVID-19 patients by collecting data from individuals who were not hospitalized. The study spanned six months, during which epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, and therapeutic data were gathered from 511 participants, of whom 311 were confirmed COVID-19 cases. The majority of patients were females (64%), with an average age of 28 years. PCR testing was the most commonly used confirmation method (54%), followed by rapid testing (27%) and serological testing (3.50%). Remarkably, 90% of the studied patients were vaccinated against COVID-19. The most frequently reported symptoms by patients included fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches, fever, and loss of smell or taste. Regarding the therapeutic approach, 57.6% of patients strictly followed the national treatment protocol, while others opted for alternative treatments or refused to adhere to the recommended protocol. Some patients used antibiotics, corticosteroids, or the drug Molnupiravir. Approximately 97 patients reported adverse effects related to the treatment. This study highlights the importance of an individualized approach in managing COVID-19 patients and sheds light on significant aspects of outpatient care and the value of adhering to recommended therapeutic protocols.

Keywords: COVID-19, diagnostic, treatment, therapy.