Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and individual experiences of illness in men with COVID-19: mixed method study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, studies have shown that this disease has affected the male population on a significant scale in various parts of the world, making men one of the main risk groups. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and experiences of illness in men with COVID-19. DESIGN AND SETTING: A mixed sequential-explanatory study with cross-sectional and exploratory-descriptive approaches. METHOD: Data was collected from a small municipality located in the central-north region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Primary quantitative data was extracted from compulsory notification forms from 598 men. Qualitative data from individual interviews of 30 men was analyzed by the Discourse of the Collective Subject method. RESULTS: The findings identified the characterization of reports of suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in men, the organization of the healthcare system, and strategies for the control and combat of COVID-19 directed towards the men of the investigated municipality. They revealed the clinical characteristics based on the collective discourse of men with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: In men, the individual experience of disease explicitly explains the clinical markers of COVID-19 expressed by the self-reported syndromic approach. Additionally, this understanding also explains the behaviors observed in their search for health care, as well as the adoption of prevention and control measures and therapies recommended by health professionals.

摘要
【背景】：自新型冠状病毒肺炎（coronavirus disease 2019，COVID-19）大流行伊始，已有研究证实，全球各地均有大规模男性人群受该疾病影响，男性已成为主要易感人群之一。
【目的】：分析新型冠状病毒肺炎男性患者的临床与流行病学特征，以及其患病体验。
【设计与研究场景】：本研究采用序列解释型混合研究设计，结合横断面调查与探索性描述性研究方法。
【方法】：研究数据采集自巴西巴伊亚州中北部地区的一座小型城镇。定量数据源自598名男性的新冠疫情强制上报表单；质性数据则通过对30名男性的个人访谈收集，并采用集体主体话语法（Discourse of the Collective Subject）进行分析。
【结果】：本研究明确了该城镇男性新冠疑似与确诊病例的报告特征、当地医疗系统架构，以及针对本地男性群体的新冠防控策略；同时基于新冠男性患者的集体话语，揭示了其临床特征。
【结论】：对于男性群体而言，个体患病体验可清晰阐释通过自我报告症状学方法所呈现的新冠临床特征；同时该认知也可解释男性群体在就医行为、遵从卫生专业人员推荐的防控措施与治疗方案等方面的表现。