Methodological aspects and results of the baseline health monitoring of adults and elderly people infected with covid-19 (Sulcovid-19)

AIM: to describe the methodology used in the study, the sample and the prevalence of symptoms in the acute phase of the infection according to socioeconomic variables. METHODS: cross-sectional study carried out in Rio Grande with individuals infected with covid-19 from December 2020 to March 2021. Nineteen symptoms present during the acute phase of the infection were investigated and analyzed, separately and in categories of "0-4", "5-9" and "10 or more", according to gender, age and economic class. RESULTS: 2,919 people were part of the sample. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (73.7%), headache (67.2%), loss of taste (65.9%), loss of smell (63.9%) and muscle pain (62.3% ). Regarding the occurrence of symptoms stratified by gender, all symptoms, except productive cough, were statistically higher in females. Regarding age, it was found that headache, pain/discomfort to breathe, loss of taste, loss of smell, fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, diarrhea, joint pain and muscle pain were statistically higher among adults (18 -59 years). As for economic class, the prevalence of symptoms of shortness of breath, pain/discomfort in breathing, alteration in sensitivity and joint pain showed a linear increase with the reduction in economic class. CONCLUSION: the results of this study made it possible to identify the most frequent symptoms in the acute phase of covid-19 and their distribution in groups, providing data for the implementation of public policies by managers and support for health professionals in assisting this population.