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

Valladares-Garrido M.J.; Failoc-Rojas V.E.; Soto-Becerra P.; Zeña-Ñañez S.; Torres-Roman J.S.; Fernández-Mogollón J.L.; Colchado-Palacios I.G.; Apolaya-Segura C.E.; Dávila-Gonzales J.A.; Arce-Villalobos L.R.; Neciosup-Puican R.D.P.; Calvay-Requejo A.G.; Maguiña J.L.; Apolaya-Segura M.; Díaz-Vélez C. · International Journal of Infectious Diseases (2022) · DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.07.045

Resumen

Objectives: To identify differences in the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic at the EsSalud Lambayeque health care network, Peru. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study of 53,912 patients enrolled during the first and second waves of COVID-19 was conducted. Cluster analysis based on clustering large applications (CLARA) was applied to clinical-epidemiologic data presented at the time of care. The two pandemic waves were compared using clinical-epidemiologic data from epidemiologic 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 the participants were predominantly female. Cluster 2 included patients with gastrointestinal, respiratory, and systemic symptoms. Cluster 3 was the “severe” cluster, characterized by older adults and patients with dyspnea or comorbidities (cardiovascular, diabetes, obesity). Cluster 4 included asymptomatic, pregnant, and less severe patients. We found differences in all clinical-epidemiologic characteristics according to the cluster to which they belonged. Conclusion: Using cluster analysis, we identified characteristic patterns in each group. Respiratory, gastrointestinal, dyspnea, anosmia, and ageusia symptoms were higher in the second COVID-19 wave than the first COVID-19 wave.

Instituciones: Universidad Científica del Sur; Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego; Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola; Universidad Continental; Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener; Universidad César Vallejo