Active inquiry of people with respiratory symptoms for prevention and control of COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: The active inquiry as a measure of prevention and control of COVID-19, is performed to detect acute clinical manifestations of respiratory infections and guarantee the people´s health.

 Objective: To describe the results of the active inquiry of acute respiratory infections performed by students of Medicine from ¨Románico Oro Peña¨ health area. 

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study of the active inquiry of people with respiratory symptoms was carried out, as a strategy of facing COVID-19, in the Doctor´s office No. 5, in Puerto Padre, from March to July, 2020. The population under study was formed by 1638 inhabitants.  The variables: visited and inquired households, investigated people with respiratory symptoms and considered vulnerable were analyzed. The information was obtained of the daily reports, presented to the control office and analyzed by perceptual calculus.

Results: In May and June, a 98 % of inquired households was achieved; the 69.2 % was regained in May and the 66.7 % in June; March was standed out with a 27.3 % of inquired patients with respiratory symptoms. The comorbidities that prevailed were: hypertension with 279 cases and asthma with 137 patients. The 94.4 % of adults older than 60 years old were inquired, the 72.2 % of them, lived accompanied by other people and the 22.2 % lived alone.

Conclusions:  The active inquiry, the early diagnosis, as well as the differentiated assistance to risk groups contributes to the detection of cases.