Epidemiological Profile and Outcome of COVID-19 Patients and Its Comparison Between the First and Second Wave at a Tertiary-Level COVID Care Facility in North India

Background: In December 2019, COVID-19 emerged in China and spread rapidly throughout the world, including India. So far, India has witnessed three spells of the disease, termed the first, second, and third waves; although the first two waves were significant in terms of severity, mortality, and need for respiratory support, the third wave had no significant impact and most people recovered without being admitted to the hospital. The present study aimed to discuss the clinical demographic characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 patients and their comparisons between the first and second waves.

Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study, comprising data collected regarding demographic, epidemiological, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care facility in north India. Patient death or requirement of respiratory support was considered as patient outcomes.

Results: Of 3563 COVID-19 patients, 2459 comprised the first wave and 1104, the second wave. There was a significantly higher age, increased proportion of female gender, clinical symptoms, ventilator, and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) support, as well as patients' mortality in the second wave, whereas the distribution of the comorbidities was statistically equal between the first and second waves.

Conclusions: The second wave of COVID-19 was more devastating in terms of the severity of the disease, the need for respiratory support, and mortality in the patients. Poor outcomes were associated with the presence of any one comorbidity and the absence of vaccination in the patients.