TY - JOUR T1 - The COVID-19 Pandemic in a Hispanic Population: A Primary Care Perspective JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 686 LP - 694 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.2022.04.210163 VL - 35 IS - 4 AU - Christopher D. Owens AU - Gerardo M. Pertuz AU - Julio C. Sanchez AU - Jorge Ayala AU - Lindsey H. Pimentel AU - Christopher Lamb AU - Yelyt E. Lopez Mayo AU - Alfredo Lopez Yunez Y1 - 2022/07/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/4/686.abstract N2 - Introduction: The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected all ethnic and minority groups although not equally. The goals of the present study are twofold: describe the diverse COVID-19-related care needs Hispanic patients presenting to a primary care facility and the symptom clusters and socioeconomic factors that may impact their wellbeing.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort of Hispanic patients in an outpatient clinic serving an urban lower socioeconomic demographic, between May 9 and July 31, 2020. COVID-19 infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction or rapid antibody test. Student's t-test was used for means and the chi2 was used for comparisons of proportions.Results: A total of 6616 patients visited Alivio, 409 were triaged to a containment area, and 378 were tested for COVID-19; 230 with, 148 without symptoms. Of those tested, 161(42.6%) were positive, representing 2.4% of total patients seen. Age, temperature, and pulse rate were all significantly higher in patients with symptoms compared with those without. Symptoms were grouped into 5 clusters: constitutional, n = 143(62%), respiratory, n = 136 (59%), and somatic, n = 97(42%) were most common. No single cluster was particularly diagnostic of COVID-19, although those with symptoms in multiple clusters were more likely to test positive, P < .001. The majority worked in essential jobs, were uninsured, and had more than half had prolonged symptoms.Conclusions: Hispanic patients have diverse reasons for seeking health care and for testing in a pandemic. COVID-19 is a syndromic disease as evidenced from the clustering of symptoms. Essential workers and uninsured health status may lead to more prolonged disease course. ER -