Iftimie, S; López-Azcona, AF; Vallverdú, I; Hernández-Flix, S; de Febrer, G; Parra, S; Hernández-Aguilera, A; Riu, F; Joven, J; Andreychuk, N; Baiges- (2021). First and second waves of coronavirus disease-19: A comparative study in hospitalized patients in Reus, Spain. Plos One, 16(3), e0248029-. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248029
Papper original source:
Plos One. 16 (3): e0248029-
Abstract:
Many countries have seen a two-wave pattern in reported cases of coronavirus disease-19 during the 2020 pandemic, with a first wave during spring followed by the current second wave in late summer and autumn. Empirical data show that the characteristics of the effects of the virus do vary between the two periods. Differences in age range and severity of the disease have been reported, although the comparative characteristics of the two waves still remain largely unknown. Those characteristics are compared in this study using data from two equal periods of 3 and a half months. The first period, between 15(th) March and 30(th) June, corresponding to the entire first wave, and the second, between 1(st) July and 15(th) October, corresponding to part of the second wave, still present at the time of writing this article. Two hundred and four patients were hospitalized during the first period, and 264 during the second period. Patients in the second wave were younger and the duration of hospitalization and case fatality rate were lower than those in the first wave. In the second wave, there were more children, and pregnant and post-partum women. The most frequent signs and symptoms in both waves were fever, dyspnea, pneumonia, and cough, and the most relevant comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic neurological diseases. Patients from the second wave more frequently presented renal and gastrointestinal symptoms, were more often treated with non-invasive mechanical ventilation and corticoids, and less often with invasive mechanical ventilation, conventional oxygen therapy and anticoagulants. Several differences in mortality risk factors were also observed. These results might help to understand the characteristics of the second wave and the behaviour and danger of SARS-CoV-2 in the Mediterranean area and in Western Europe. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Many countries have seen a two-wave pattern in reported cases of coronavirus disease-19 during the 2020 pandemic, with a first wave during spring followed by the current second wave in late summer and autumn. Empirical data show that the characteristics of the effects of the virus do vary between the two periods. Differences in age range and severity of the disease have been reported, although the comparative characteristics of the two waves still remain largely unknown. Those characteristics are compared in this study using data from two equal periods of 3 and a half months. The first period, between 15(th) March and 30(th) June, corresponding to the entire first wave, and the second, between 1(st) July and 15(th) October, corresponding to part of the second wave, still present at the time of writing this article. Two hundred and four patients were hospitalized during the first period, and 264 during the second period. Patients in the second wave were younger and the duration of hospitalization and case fatality rate were lower than those in the first wave. In the second wave, there were more children, and pregnant and post-partum women. The most frequent signs and symptoms in both waves were fever, dyspnea, pneumonia, and cough, and the most relevant comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic neurological diseases. Patients from the second wave more frequently presented renal and gastrointestinal symptoms, were more often treated with non-invasive mechanical ventilation and corticoids, and less often with invasive mechanical ventilation, conventional oxygen therapy and anticoagulants. Several differences in mortality risk factors were also observed. These results might help to understand the characteristics of the second wave and
Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Miscellaneous),Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Miscellaneous),Biology,Medicine (Miscellaneous),Multidisciplinary,Multidisciplinary Sciences Western europe Treatment outcome Tocilizumab Therapy Symptomatology Spain Southern europe Risk factor Remdesivir Puerperium Prospective study Pregnant woman Pneumonia Pediatric patient Pandemics Pandemic Oxygen therapy Noninvasive ventilation Nonhuman Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus Neurologic disease Mortality risk Middle aged Male Major clinical study Lopinavir plus ritonavir Kidney disease Hydroxychloroquine Humans Human Hospitalization Hospital patient Gastrointestinal symptom Fever Female Epidemiology Dyspnea Disease severity Disease duration Covid-19 Coughing Corticosteroid Coronavirus disease 2019 Controlled study Comparative study Comorbidity Case fatality rate Cardiovascular disease Article Anticoagulant agent Aged Zootecnia / recursos pesqueiros Sociology Sociología Serviço social Saúde coletiva Química Psychology Psicología Planejamento urbano e regional / demografia Odontología Nutrição Multidisciplinary sciences Multidisciplinary Medicine (miscellaneous) Medicina veterinaria Medicina iii Medicina ii Medicina i Materiais Matemática / probabilidade e estatística Linguística e literatura Letras / linguística Interdisciplinary research in the social sciences Interdisciplinar Human geography and urban studies History & philosophy of science Historia Geografía Geociências General medicine General biochemistry,genetics and molecular biology General agricultural and biological sciences Farmacia Environmental studies Ensino Engenharias iv Engenharias iii Engenharias ii Engenharias i Enfermagem Educação física Educação Economia Direito Demography Comunicação e informação A
