Introduction:

Coronavirus disease sometimes triggers hospitalization of patients in a critical area, becoming an uncertain and unknown event.

Objective:

To explore the experiences of Covid-19 patients in their transition through intensive care in the city of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas in Ecuador.

Methods:

Qualitative study with phenomenological design, a convenience sampling was carried out with the participation of 8 patients who were hospitalized in the aforementioned area, to whom semi-structured interviews were applied.

Results

: The following categories were obtained: Acceptance of admission to the intensive care unit, Feelings about death, Uncertainty about their illness during hospitalization, Valuing life after discharge, Positive feelings upon discharge from the intensive care unit, Negative feelings upon admission to the intensive care unit, Remaining isolated from the family, Closeness to God and the family and Strengthening of the nurse-patient bond.

Conclusions:

Entering the intensive care unit generated negative feelings in patients, causing insecurity about their future. Similarly, during their hospitalization they presented fear of death and uncertainty about the disease; however, they had coping mechanisms such as clinging to God, to the family and counting on nursing care. As for the patients' discharge, they expressed joy and happiness, valuing a new opportunity in life.

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