cepia

Clinical Epidemiology and Ageing

COVID-19 profiles in general practice: a latent class analysis.

Ferrat E, Mirat W, Boutin E, Maroto E, Brossier S, Hoonakker J-D, Audureau E, Phan T-T, Bastuji-Garin S BMJ Open. 2024;14(6):e080393.

BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) were on the front line of the COVID-19 outbreak. Identifying clinical profiles in COVID-19 might improve patient care and enable closer monitoring of at-risk profiles.

OBJECTIVES: To identify COVID-19 profiles in a population of adult primary care patients, and to determine whether the profiles were associated with negative outcomes and persistent symptoms.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In a prospective multicentre study, 44 GPs from multiprofessional primary care practices in the Paris area of France recruited 340 consecutive adult patients (median age: 47 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 during the first two waves of the epidemic.

METHOD AND OUTCOME: A latent class (LC) analysis with 11 indicators (clinical signs and symptoms) was performed. The resulting profiles were characterised by a 3-month composite outcome (COVID-19-related hospital admission and/or death) and persistent symptoms three and 6 months after inclusion.

RESULTS: We identified six profiles: 'paucisymptomatic' (LC1, 9%), 'anosmia and/or ageusia' (LC2, 12.9%), 'influenza-like syndrome with anosmia and ageusia' (LC3, 15.5%), 'influenza-like syndrome without anosmia or ageusia' (LC4, 24.5%), 'influenza-like syndrome with respiratory impairment' (LC5) and a 'complete form' (LC6, 17.7%). At 3 months, 7.4% of the patients were hospitalised (with higher rates in LC5), and 18% had persistent symptoms (with higher rates in LC5 and LC6). At 6 months, 6.4% of the patients had persistent symptoms, with no differences between LCs.

CONCLUSION: Our findings might help GPs to identify patients at risk of persistent COVID-19 symptoms and hospital admission and then set up procedures for closer monitoring.

MeSH terms: Adult; Aged; Ageusia; Anosmia; COVID-19; Female; France; General Practice; Hospitalization; Humans; Latent Class Analysis; Male; Middle Aged; Paris; Primary Health Care; Prospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080393