FATORES ASSOCIADOS AOS SINTOMAS PERSISTENTES EM PESSOAS IDOSAS COM COVID-19 RESIDENTES NA FRONTEIRA BRASIL-PARAGUAI

Abstract

In December 2019, China reported the occurrence of 27 cases of pneumonia with an initially unknown etiology, and in January 2020 it was discovered that it was a new coronavirus. The disease caused by this new virus has been named Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-2019). Subsequently, on February 26, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was registered in Brazil, in the city of São Paulo, affecting an elderly man who traveled to Italy. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), the first case was reported on March 16, 2020. People over 60 years of age, who in Brazilian territory are considered elderly people, are more vulnerable to this disease in several countries. Analyzing this perspective, this work aims to understand the prevalence and associated factors of persistent symptoms of COVID-19 in the elderly population living in the Ponta-Porã microregion. This is a cohort study carried out with elderly people affected by COVID-19 living in the Ponta Porã microregion, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The elderly people who agreed to participate in the research and signed the informed consent form were monitored throughout the month over a period of 12 months, the first interview being in person and the others remotely through telephone contact for monitoring. A structured questionnaire was developed and applied to collect general health conditions and health conditions specific to COVID-19, relating to the 30 days after the last contact with the researcher. 140 people participated in the study, aged between 60 and 95 years. During this period of remote monitoring, it was observed that 90.7% had at least one symptom in the first 12 months after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The multivariate analysis showed that black people, those who have no education, who evaluate their health condition as bad or very bad, smokers and who performed physical activity in the period prior to diagnosis have a higher prevalence of symptoms. The information from this research can contribute to health professionals, health services and health policies, to improve the development of technical manuals and booklets regarding the management of COVID-19 for this population.

Descriptors: COVID-19; Post-COVID-19 syndrome; Elderly; Border; SUS.