Evolution of the Characteristics of Covid-19 Index Cases From the Year 2000 (Not Vaccinated) To 2021 (Vaccinated) Within the Families, in Toledo (Spain): The Importance of Psycho-Social Factors

Abstract

Background: It is not known whether there have been changes in the primary cases of covid-19, which are the gateway for SARS-CoV-2 in households and families, during the course of the pandemic. Objective: Evaluate the variation of the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of the primary cases of covid-19 in households, in 2020 versus 2021. Methodology: Comparison of secondary data from two observational, longitudinal, and prospective studies of families in 2020 and 2021 in the same population of patients treated in a general medicine office in Toledo, Spain. Results: It was included 39 primary cases in 2020 unvaccinated and 25 primary cases vaccinated with one or two doses in 2021, within families. The 2020 family primary cases differed statistically significantly from the 2021 family primary cases in that they were younger and had fewer ethnic minorities. Also, the primary cases of 2020 were more women, with lower income and more complex families, compared to the primary cases of 2021, but without statistical significance. No statistically significant differences were found in the primary cases in families of 2020 and 2021 in symptoms or in chronic diseases. Conclusions: In the context of general medicine in Toledo (Spain), the changes in the “gateway” (primary cases) of SARS-CoV-2 in families during the course of the pandemic (from 2020 to 2021) were basically due to psychosocial factors rather than biological factors