The Follow-Up and Well-Being of Geriatric Outpatients During COVID-19 Pandemic in Cameroon: Insights From the Yaounde Central Hospital.
| Autor: | Ntsama Essomba MJ; Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.; University of Yaounde, Yaounde, Cameroon., Nzana V; Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon., Noubiap JJ; University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia., Zingui-Ottou M; Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon., Ciaffi L; U1175 INSERM, Yaounde, Cameroon., Sobngwi E; Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde, Cameroon.; University of Yaounde, Yaounde, Cameroon., Ashuntantang G; University of Yaounde, Yaounde, Cameroon. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Gerontology & geriatric medicine [Gerontol Geriatr Med] 2020 Sep 25; Vol. 6, pp. 2333721420959242. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Sep 25 (Print Publication: 2020). |
| DOI: | 10.1177/2333721420959242 |
| Abstrakt: | Although total confinement has not been adopted by the government of Cameroon, the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping geriatric patients out of hospital, despite a decline in their health status. In addition, the pandemic might have a significant effect on their general well-being. This study aimed to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the follow-up and well-being of older outpatients seen at geriatric consultation in Cameroon. We carried out a telephone survey of patients who did not attend an appointment at our geriatrics outpatient clinic on April 2020. Overall, 30 participants were recruited of whom 70% were female ( n = 21) with a median age of 74 years (IQR 68.8-85). Most patients (73%, n = 22) did not attend their appointment because of fear of being infected by SARS-CoV-2 at hospital. Approximately 23% ( n = 7) of participants reported a decline of their functional status since the last geriatric visit. Loss of appetite and weight loss were both reported in 30% ( n = 9) of patients. Half of participants ( n = 15) self-rated their health status as bad and three of them died in private health facilities. Strategies to ensure a continuum of care for this vulnerable population during this pandemic are highly needed in our setting. Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. (© The Author(s) 2020.) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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