{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T13:27:35Z","timestamp":1791293255353,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To characterize non-hospitalized patients with mild and moderate clinical presentation.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We performed an epidemiological, observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study carried out in Ecuador, with 1,447 participants between 18 and 66 years, non-hospitalized, with a molecular RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV2. We analyzed demographic characteristics according to sex, age group, clinical findings, behavior after diagnosis, family and social behavior, sequelae, clinical evolution, type of exposure, and personal history.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The sample analyzed had a mean age of 37 years (95% CI 18\u201366), women 713 individuals (49.27%), men 733 individuals (50.66%). Age group distribution was 18\u201330 years, 524 individuals (36.29%), 31\u201345, 538 individuals (37.26), and more of 45 years, 382 individuals (26.46%). 1416 individuals were mestizos (97.99%). According to the province of residence from Pichincha were 1019 patients (70.52%), followed by Imbabura, 93 patients (6.44%), and the others 335 (23.15%) patients come from all over the country. In women, the most common findings were fever &gt;38\u00b0C (54.40%), sputum (27.43%) and hypoxia (16.32%); HTN (5.75%) and hypercholesterolemia (3.69%). Men were more prevalent in all other findings. Comorbidities were more prevalent in all those over 45 years of age. COVID-19 antibodies test was positive in 416 patients (28.85%). Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as sleep disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, depressed mood, and chronic fatigue were more prevalent in men than women. Still, generalized anxiety disorder and chronic fatigue were more common in individuals of 31 to 45 years. 868 patients (60.07%) were in contact with a known infected person, 318 patients (22.02%) were health workers, and 782 patients (57.63%) were informed about work exposure. 545 patients (37.72%) were overweight, primarily women 310 (42.29%). 609 patients (42.65%) showed symptoms after the acute period, and 331 individuals (23.49%) reported some sequelae.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The epidemiological and clinical behavior of hospitalized and critical patients differs greatly from ambulatory or mild or moderate symptoms. It is essential to highlight those non-hospitalized patients constitute the predominant population of patients, hence the importance of adequate management that would directly affect the development of complicated forms and, consequently, the collapse of healthcare centers. It is vitally important to open more investigations that compare hospitalized and outpatient patients to have a clearer picture of the epidemic.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0283535","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T18:21:11Z","timestamp":1679595671000},"page":"e0283535","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["A comprehensive study of Ecuadorian adult patients with a mild and moderate presentation of COViD-19"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2091-9095","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Fabricio","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Andrade","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yenddy","family":"Carrero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0283535.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1111\/joim.13091","article-title":"COVID-19 diagnosis and management: a comprehensive review","volume":"288","author":"G Pascarella","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Intern Med"},{"issue":"1142","key":"pone.0283535.ref002","first-page":"753","article-title":"Origin, transmission, diagnosis and management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)","volume":"96","author":"S Umakanthan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Postgrad Med J"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0283535.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1186\/s12941-021-00438-7","article-title":"COVID-19: breaking down a global health crisis","volume":"20","author":"SI Mallah","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0283535.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"729","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmi.2020.03.026","article-title":"COVID-19, SARS and MERS: are they closely related?","volume":"26","author":"N Petrosillo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Microbiol Infect"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0283535.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"983","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.26354","article-title":"A structural equation model to examine the clinical features of mild-to-moderate COVID-19: A multicenter Italian study","volume":"93","author":"MR Barillari","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Med Virol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0283535.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e21409","DOI":"10.1096\/fj.202002662R","article-title":"COVID-19: Current knowledge in clinical features, immunological responses, and vaccine development","volume":"35","author":"R Singh","year":"2021","journal-title":"FASEB J"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0283535.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1362","DOI":"10.1093\/trstmh\/trab042","article-title":"Gastrointestinal manifestations in COVID-19","volume":"115","author":"JC Kariyawasam","year":"2021","journal-title":"Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg"},{"issue":"13","key":"pone.0283535.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12493","DOI":"10.18632\/aging.103579","article-title":"Epidemiological, comorbidity factors with severity and prognosis of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"12","author":"X Fang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Aging (Albany NY)"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0283535.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23414","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-02920-w","article-title":"Clinical risk factors for mortality in an analysis of 1375 patients admitted for COVID treatment","volume":"11","author":"SAP Clouston","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"pone.0283535.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"714170","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2021.714170","article-title":"Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","volume":"12","author":"N Sharif","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0283535.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1038\/s41581-020-00381-4","article-title":"The COVID-19 pandemic: consequences for nephrology","volume":"17","author":"A. Bruchfeld","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat Rev Nephrol"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0283535.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.1007\/s00109-021-02072-4","article-title":"Obesity and its impact on COVID-19","volume":"99","author":"AJM de Leeuw","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Mol Med (Berl)"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0283535.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"861","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2021.01.007","article-title":"Adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19","volume":"184","author":"A Sette","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cell"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0283535.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.1007\/s00109-021-02072-4","article-title":"Obesity and its impact on COVID-19","volume":"99","author":"AJM de Leeuw","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Mol Med (Berl)"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0283535.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e006446","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2021-006446","article-title":"Excess deaths reveal unequal impact of COVID-19 in Ecuador","volume":"6","author":"L Cu\u00e9llar","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0283535.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2020.326","article-title":"Evaluation of COVID-19 Surveillance Strategy in Ecuador","volume":"16","author":"R Ca\u00f1izares Fuentes","year":"2022","journal-title":"Disaster Med Public Health Prep"},{"key":"pone.0283535.ref017","first-page":"100088","article-title":"Post-COVID-19 conditions in Ecuadorian patients: an observational study","volume":"5","author":"F. Gonz\u00e1lez-Andrade","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Reg Health Am"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0283535.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0008958","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0008958","article-title":"Epidemiological, socio-demographic and clinical features of the early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in Ecuador","volume":"15","author":"E Ortiz-Prado","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0283535.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00294721","DOI":"10.1590\/0102-311xen294721","article-title":"A competing risk survival analysis of the sociodemographic factors of COVID-19 in-hospital mortality in Ecuador","volume":"39","author":"GJ Lapo-Talledo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cad Saude Publica"},{"key":"pone.0283535.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"607832","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2020.607832","article-title":"Impact of the Healthcare System, Macro Indicator, General Mandatory Quarantine, and Mask Obligation on COVID-19 Cases and Death in Six Latin American Countries: An Interrupted Time Series Study","volume":"8","author":"A. Poppe","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0283535.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2021.02.034","article-title":"Pre-existing T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in unexposed healthy controls in Ecuador, as detected with a COVID-19 Interferon-Gamma Release Assay","volume":"105","author":"G Echeverr\u00eda","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Infect Dis"},{"issue":"16","key":"pone.0283535.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8706","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18168706","article-title":"A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Knowledge of COVID-19 among Undergraduate Students in North-Central Ecuador","volume":"18","author":"D Ortega-Paredes","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0283535","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,23]],"date-time":"2023-03-23T18:21:27Z","timestamp":1679595687000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0283535"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Walter R. 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