INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the same day that the first cases in Cuba were diagnosed. In Cuba, all confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized from this point forward.

OBJECTIVE

Characterize the first patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Cuba.

INTRODUCTION

METHODS We carried out a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 415 suspected cases of COVID-19 admitted to the Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute in Havana, Cuba, from March 11, 2020 through April 10, 2020. (In Cuba, all patients suspected of being COVID-19-positive were admitted to hospitals or isolation centers for observation and treatment.) Of these 415 individuals, 63 (15.2%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Information was obtained from the Institute's databases as well as a standardized interview form for cases confirmed or suspected as infected with the novel coronavirus. We considered the following variables: age, sex, occupation at the time of interview, national origin, personal health history, time elapsed between symptom onset and hospital admission, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and status at discharge. We based our analysis on frequency distributions and double-entry contingency tables.

RESULTS

The mean age was 50 years (range: 16-94 years). The 45-54 age group represented the largest share of cases (25.4%; 16/63); persons aged ≥65 years were 20.6% (13/63); there were more men than women (55.6% vs. 44.4%). Cubans represented 52.4% (33/63) of patients while 47.6% (30/63) were from 14 countries where COVID-19 had already been identified. All foreigners and Cubans who arrived from abroad were considered imported cases (54.0%; 34/63). Health personnel (10 doctors and 1 nurse) represented 17.5% (11/63) of cases. Cough (50.8%), fever (46.0%), sore throat (22.2%) and headache (19.0%) were the most frequently reported symptoms. Asymptomatic patients represented 25.4% (16/63) of cases. Hypertension was the most frequently associated chronic disease (28.6%), followed by asthma (25.0%) and diabetes (17.9%). Patients who were admitted to hospital ≥3 days after symptom onset represented 66.7% (42/63) of cases. Mean hospital stay was 13.7 days (range: 1-27 days). Factors associated with a higher risk of contracting the disease included occupation as a healthcare worker (OR: 1.85; 95%, CI: 0.88-3.87) and aged ≥65 years (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 0.85-3.34). Five individuals died, for a fatality rate of 7.9% (three foreigners and two Cubans; four men and one woman). Four of these patients were infected outside of Cuba and one was identified as a contact of a confirmed case. All patients who died had significant comorbidities (diabetes, asthma and hypertension). Age of deceased patients ranged from 54 to 87 years.

CONCLUSION

The first patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Cuba were admitted to the Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute in Havana. They share characteristics with those reported by other countries: more men than women were affected, and comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes and asthma were all important risk factors, as was age ≥65 years. More than half of all cases were imported, and autochthonous patients were all contacts of confirmed cases.