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Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of post-COVID-19 condition after at least three months of hospital discharge in a retrospective cohort of patients from a health insurance company (Mutual SER EPS) living in the north of Bolivar, a department of Colombia. Methods: Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected from 181 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in the ward or intensive care unit (ICU) between March-2021 to August-2021. Patients who agreed to participate were evaluated by a structured telephone interview to identify persistent or new symptoms after at least three months of hospital discharge. Associations between at least one symptom and clinical and sociodemographic characteristics at admission were assessed through bivariate and multivariate logistic regression using a stepwise Akaike information criterion (AIC) selection. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) are reported. Results: Mean age of patients was 56 years (SD: 17 years), 50.8% (n=92) were women and 23.2% (n=42) were previously admitted to ICU. One-hundred-three patients (56.9%) had at least one comorbidity; being hypertension (36.5%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (18.2%) and heart disease (8.28%) the most common. The presence of at least one symptom after three months of hospital discharge was reported by 141 (77.9%) patients. Most frequently symptoms were fatigue (54.1%), joint pain (45.3%), dyspnea (43.1%), sleep disorders (36.5%), chest pain (30.4%), and anorexia (30.4%). Symptoms were significantly more frequent in women (aOR: 2.45, 95% CI 1.14- 5.29, p=0.02) and ICU admitted patients (aOR: 3.10, 95% CI 1.02-9.45 p=0.05), but were not associated with age, having comorbidities, or a previous long hospital stay. Conclusions: As reported in other studies, in Bolivar -Colombia, the presentation of post COVID-19 symptoms is frequent in previously hospitalized patients. Being a wome.

Objectives: Testing is widely accepted as critical to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the dynamics of tests conducted could help to assess a country response to the pandemic. In that sense, our aim was to verify if there is a relationship between pandemic dynamics and molecular tests conducted in Colombia. Methods: We retrieved publicly available data from The Colombian National Institute of Health from March 2 to December 31, 2020, on testing and outcomes related to COVID-19. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between molecular tests conducted per 100000 persons and death or incidence rate per 100000 people of every department of Colombia. To assess if there a cyclic relationship between the daily number of molecular tests and daily COVID-19 cases in Colombia, we executed a cointegration analysis and evaluated the hypothesis with an augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test. A critical value of -3.42 for rejecting the null hypothesis at 5% was used. Results: There was a positive correlation between molecular tests conducted and COVID-19 incidence and death rate (r = 0.79, p < 0.01 and r = 0.64, p < 0.01, respectively). The cointegration (ADF) test revealed a statistically significant and closely time-dependent stochastic structure between daily COVID-19 cases and number of molecular tests (ADF, -3.50;p < 0.01). Conclusions: In Colombia, the molecular tests conducted are reactive to COVID-19 incidence and, in contrast to other scenarios, the molecular testing increase does not reduce COVID-19 incidence or mortality.

Objectives To describe the costs and epidemiology of adult patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease in Colombia. Methods We carried out a cost description study using the top-down technique, from the perspective of the third payer-health service provider. We used billing and payment authorization databases of two health insurance companies, one from the subsidiary regime (SRIC) and other from the contributory one (CRIC). Both insurance companies with two million affiliates each, 48% men. Clinical records were refined using the codes C61X and D400 from ICD-10. All costs were calculated for patients treated in 2016 and inflated to 2017 Colombian pesos. Means and 95% confidence intervals were used to report the costs, considering the following cost categories: medication, outpatient physician services, non-physician health services, and inpatient treatment. Results According to the Colombian National Cancer Institute, between 2007-2011, the age-adjusted incidence of prostate cancer (PTC) in Colombia was 46.5 cases per 100,000 (8,872 cases). In the SRIC were observed 595 patients with PTC, similar to the prevalence of this type of cancer reported for Colombia, while in the CRIC we observed 1,779 cases. The average annual direct medical cost of a patient without prostatectomy was $5,594,079 for SRIC and $7,015,942 for CRIC, while with prostatectomy this direct cost was $13,486,265 and $6,660,353, respectively. The average annual direct medical cost of patients with chemical castration using Bicalutamide was $6,844,370 for SRIC and $9,293,649 for CRIC. Also, castration direct medical cost with Goserelin was $9,552,550 and $9,116,249 for SRIC and CRIC, respectively. Conclusions PTC remains as an important public health issue with a high economic burden. Drugs comprised the largest share of cost per item in these patients with 53% and 38.2% for the SRIC and CRIC, respectively. Our estimations are important inputs to estimate cost-effectiveness ratios of PTC drugs. Los objetivos Describir los costos y la epidemiología de pacientes adultos con cáncer de próstata resistente a la castración con metástasis óseas y sin enfermedad metastásica visceral conocida en Colombia. Los metodos Realizamos un estudio de descripción de costos utilizando la técnica de arriba hacia abajo, desde la perspectiva del proveedor de servicios de salud del tercer pagador. Utilizamos las bases de datos de facturación y autorización de pago de dos compañías de seguros de salud, una del régimen subsidiario (SRIC) y otra del contribuyente (CRIC). Ambas compañías de seguros con dos millones de afiliados cada una, 48% hombres. Los registros clínicos se refinaron utilizando los códigos C61X y D400 de ICD-10. Todos los costos se calcularon para los pacientes tratados en 2016 e inflados a 2017 pesos colombianos. Se utilizaron medias e intervalos de confianza del 95% para informar los costos, teniendo en cuenta las siguientes categorías de costos: medicamentos, servicios de médico ambulatorio, servicios de salud no médicos y tratamiento para pacientes hospitalizados. Resultados Según el Instituto Nacional de Cáncer de Colombia, entre 2007-2011, la incidencia del cáncer de próstata (PTC) ajustada por edad en Colombia fue de 46,5 casos por 100.000 (8,872 casos). En el SRIC se observaron 595 pacientes con PTC, similar a la prevalencia de este tipo de cáncer reportada para Colombia, mientras que en el CRIC observamos 1,779 casos. El costo médico directo anual promedio de un paciente sin prostatectomía fue de $ 5,594,079 para SRIC y $ 7,015,942 para CRIC, mientras que con la prostatectomía este costo directo fue de $ 13,486,265 y $ 6,660,353, respectivamente. El costo médico directo anual promedio de los pacientes con castración química usando Bicalutamide fue de $ 6,844,370 para SRIC y $ 9,293,649 para CRIC. Además, el costo médico directo de castración con Goserelin fue de $ 9,552,550 y $ 9,116,249 para SRIC y CRIC, respectivamente. Conclusiones PTC sigue siendo un importante problema de salud pública con una alta carga económica. Los medicamentos representaron la mayor parte del costo por artículo en estos pacientes, con un 53% y un 38,2% para SRIC y CRIC, respectivamente. Nuestras estimaciones son insumos importantes para estimar las relaciones de costo-efectividad de los medicamentos PTC.