Clinical-epidemiological variation in patients treated in the first and second wave of COVID-19 in Lambayeque, Peru: A cluster analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To identify differences in the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients seen during the first and second waves of COVID-19 in the EsSalud-Lambayeque health care network, Peru.

Method

Analytical cross-sectional study in 53,912 patients attended during the first and second waves of COVID-19. Cluster analysis based on Clustering Large Applications (CLARA) was applied to clinical-epidemiological data presented at the time of care. The two pandemic waves were compared using clinical-epidemiological data from epidemiological surveillance.

Results

Cluster analysis identified four COVID-19 groups with a characteristic pattern. Cluster 1 included the largest number of participants in both waves and was predominantly female. Cluster 2 included patients with gastrointestinal, respiratory, and systemic symptoms. Cluster 3 was the "severe" cluster, which was characterized by patients with dyspnea, older adults, and individuals with some comorbidity (cardiovascular, diabetes, obesity). Cluster 4 included asymptomatic, pregnant, and less severe patients. We found differences in all clinical-epidemiological characteristics according to the cluster to which they belonged.

Conclusions

Using cluster analysis, we identified characteristic patterns among each group. Respiratory, gastrointestinal, dyspnea, anosmia, and ageusia symptoms were higher in the second than in the first COVID-19 wave.

SUBMITTER: Valladares-Garrido MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9303067 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature