Comparison of ICU Patients’ Characteristics across Two Waves of COVID-19: A Monocentric Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Morocco, like the rest of the globe, has undergone multiple waves of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) pneumonia. This study included the patients managed during two different waves, which included 494 patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Tangier, Morocco. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in the ICU during two periods. The first period extended from 26th March to 17th September 2020, and the second period from 1st July to 30th September 2021. Results: Overall, data from 494 patients have been analyzed, 221 of them included during the first wave and 273 during the second wave. Patients admitted during the second wave had more diabetes mellitus (26.3 vs 25%, p = 0.007) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (1.1 vs 0.5%, p p p p p = 0.005, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)—70 mm Hg (60; 80) vs 70 mm Hg (70; 80)/p = 0.026]. They had evidence of more lung damage [70% (50; 80) vs 60% (45; 70), p p p = 0.001], bacterial superinfection pneumonia [27.4 vs 12.7%, p p p p < 0.001. Conclusion: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to the ICU during the second wave had significantly higher morbidity and mortality compared to patients admitted during the first wave.

Keywords

• comorbidities
• coronavirus disease 2019
• first wave
• intensive care unit
• morbidity
• mortality
• second wave
• severity