What is it about?
This study compared hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the first and second waves of the pandemic in Reus, Spain. Patients in the second wave were younger and had lower hospitalization duration and case fatality rates. There were also more children and pregnant and post-partum women in the second wave. The most common symptoms were fever, dyspnea, pneumonia, and cough, and the most relevant comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic neurological diseases. Patients in the second wave more frequently had 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.
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Why is it important?
The study is important because it reveals differences between the two waves, such as age range, the severity of disease, and mortality risk factors. Understanding these differences can help researchers develop better strategies to combat the virus.
Perspectives
It is our belief that forthcoming investigations will depend on the progression of the pandemic. As of now, it appears to be well-contained and on the decline, particularly in Western countries. Nevertheless, the possibility of novel viral variants evading current vaccines cannot be discounted. If such a scenario were to arise, resulting in additional waves of severe infections and heightened fatality rates, it would be valuable to conduct prospective studies across multiple medical centers. To achieve this objective or prepare for new outbreaks of infectious origin, nations should establish necessary mechanisms for inter-hospital coordination, with the imperative of sharing medical records and databases. We must remain vigilant in the constant study of the characteristics of the disease, be able to modify treatments quickly, if necessary, and disseminate our results to the scientific community and society as soon as possible for coordinated and global action.
Jordi Camps
Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan de Reus
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: First and second waves of coronavirus disease-19: A comparative study in hospitalized patients in Reus, Spain, PLoS ONE, March 2021, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248029.
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