Home Care of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso at the Start of the pandemic (Preliminary Results)

Abstract

Background : Faced with the growing number of cases of refusal of hospitalization on the one hand and the weakness
of hospitalization capacity on the other hand, Burkina Faso has opted for a home patient monitoring program, which
we study.
Methodology : This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on COVID-19 patients confirmed by
polymerase chain reaction and cared for at home from April 16 to May 20, 2020, in the city of Ouagadougou.
Results : A total of 223 patients were identified in Ouagadougou, including 30 patients (13.5%) who were cared for
at home. The mean number of follow-ups was 3.45 visits, average age was 36.1±16.7 years, children and people
over 60 years in 10.0% of each. Of the patients, 60.0% were single and 22.0% had a comorbidity; the most common
of which were diabetes (13.2%) and hypertension (6.7%). The main symptoms were cough (30.0%), physical
asthenia (26.7%), and headache (16.7%). During follow-up, 33.0% did not adhere to containment at home: some of
them were absents or doing theirs work without masque. Ten percent of patients takecare at home were hospitalized,
and one death was recorded.
Conclusion : If this new practice of home care meets certain eligibility criteria, it will relieve congestion at healthcare
facilities and offer more comfort and serenity to patients.