Introduction:

One of the main components of the initial strategy of the health authorities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic was the provision of quarantine sites where migrant compatriots would receive clinical and virological monitoring before entering the country.

Objective:

Describe the epidemiological profile of patients with COVID-19 from shelters in Ciudad del Este during the initial period of the pandemic in Paraguay.

Methodology:

Cross-sectional study, in patients from nine isolation shelters due to COVID-19. Demographic and clinical data from individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 positive nasopharyngeal swab were included.

Results:

300 patients entered the study. 88.7% came from Brazil (São Paulo), and 82% were male. 37.4% presented anosmia, 25.7% ageusia, and 20.4% fever. The proportion of women with anosmia (52%), 36.4% (96 individuals) did not report symptoms, 55 patients (20.8%) were smokers. in the group of children and adolescents, the proportion of individuals who reported ageusia was almost similar to that of the adult cohort (25 vs 25.8%).

Conclusion:

Most of the patients came from Brazil, they were male, and they presented anosmia and ageusia; a proportion of 36.4% of the patients were asymptomatic.

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