Table 2.
Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics and outcome of COVID-19 patients admitted in the fourth pandemic wave vs. those admitted during the first three waves.
| Variables | First-third waves | Fourth wave | OR (wave 4 vs waves 123) | 95% IC | p-values |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 354) | (n = 173) | ||||
| Male sex (N, %) | 194 (55%) | 105 (61%) | 0.79 | 0.53–1.16 | 0.19 |
| Age (years, mean ± SD) | 67.0 ± 15.7 | 69.7 ± 15.8 | – | – | 0.07 |
| Cancer (N, %) | 29 (8%) | 49 (28%) | 4.43 | 2.6–7.6 | <0.001 |
| Hypertension (N, %) | 216 (61%) | 118 (68%) | 1.37 | 0.92–2.06 | 0.11 |
| CVDa other than hypertension (N, %) | 102 (29%) | 88 (51%) | 2.56 | 1.72–3.79 | <0.001 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease (N, %) | 52 (15%) | 34 (20%) | 1.42 | 0.85–2.34 | 0.15 |
| Diabetes mellitus (N, %) | 82 (23%) | 62 (36%) | 1.85 | 1.22–2.81 | 0.002 |
| Chronic kidney disease (N, %) | 47 (13%) | 58 (34%) | 3.29 | 2.07–5.24 | <0.001 |
| Obesity (N, %) | 108 (31%) | 64 (37%) | 1.34 | 0.89–1.99 | 0.14 |
| COVID-19 symptoms (N, %) | 313 (88%) | 132 (76%) | 0.42 | 0.25–0.70 | 0.0003 |
| Fever (N, %) | 228 (64%) | 59 (34%) | 0.29 | 0.19–0.43 | <0.001 |
| Number of medications before admission (mean ± SD) | 3.9 ± 3.5 | 5.8 ± 4.2 | – | – | <0.001 |
| Oxygen therapy (N, %) | 274 (77%) | 104 (60%) | 0.44 | 0.29–0.66 | <0.001 |
| Low-flow oxygen (N, %) | 153 (43%) | 42 (35%) | 0.42 | 0.27–0.64 | <0.001 |
| High-flow oxygen (N, %) | 43 (12%) | 22 (13%) | 1.05 | 0.57–1.87 | 0.85 |
| Non-invasive ventilation (N, %) | 42 (12%) | 29 (17%) | 1.49 | 0.86–2.56 | 0.12 |
| Oro-tracheal intubation (N, %) | 36 (10%) | 11 (6%) | 0.59 | 0.26–1.24 | 0.14 |
| Anticoagulant drugs (N, %) | 345 (97%) | 142 (82%) | 0.12 | 0.05–0.27 | <0.001 |
| Enoxaparin (N, %) | 334 (94%) | 112 (65%) | 0.11 | 0.06–0.2 | <0.001 |
| Fondaparinux (N, %) | 29 (8%) | 16 (9%) | 1.14 | 0.56–2.25 | 0.68 |
| Antibiotics (N, %) | 270 (76%) | 109 (63%) | 0.53 | 0.35–0.8 | 0.0015 |
| Azithromycin (N, %) | 96 (27%) | 6 (3%) | 0.1 | 0.03–0.23 | <0.001 |
| Ceftriaxone (N, %) | 179 (50%) | 31 (18%) | 0.21 | 0.13–0.34 | <0.001 |
| Corticosteroid therapy (N, %) | 288 (81%) | 96 (55%) | 0.29 | 0.19–0.44 | <0.001 |
| Remdesivir therapy (N, %) | 133 (38%) | 33 (19.1%) | 0.39 | 0.25–0.62 | <0.001 |
| Tocilizumab (N, %) | 20 (6%) | 10 (6%) | 1.02 | 0.42–2.36 | 0.95 |
| Remdesivir short courseb (N, %) | 1 (0,3%) | 39 (23%) | 102.74 | 16.9–4171.25 | <0.001 |
| Monoclonal antibodies (N, %) | 15 (4%) | 70 (40%) | 15.36 | 8.23–29.98 | <0.001 |
| Vaccination (N, %) | 9 (3%) | 124 (72%) | 97.01 | 45.01–228.01 | <0.001 |
| WHOc scale 4–5 (N, %) | 233 (66%) | 111 (64%) | 0.93 | 0.62–1.39 | 0.71 |
| WHOc scale 6–9 (N, %) | 121 (34%) | 62 (36%) | 1.08 | 0.72–1.6 | 0.71 |
| ICUd stay (N, %) | 45 (13%) | 22 (13%) | 1 | 0.55–1.77 | 0.1 |
| Death (N, %) | 52 (15%) | 28 (16%) | 1.12 | 0.65–1.89 | 0.65 |
p-values reported, respectively, refers to Fisher exact test for contingency table or to Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test, according to counts or continuous data. SD, standard deviation; aCVD, cardiovascular disease; bRemdesivir short course, early treatment with remdesivir; cWHO, world health organization scale of COVID-19 severity; dICU, intensive care unit.