Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of COVID‐19 patients with severe/critical illness in the first versus second wave
| Variable | First wave (n = 228) | Second wave (n = 681) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 64.5 (54–74.7) | 65(54–73) | 0.65 |
| Male, n (%) | 129 (56.6) | 391 (57.4) | 0.87 |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||
| Any comorbidity | 155 (68) | 486 (71.4) | 0.35 |
| Hypertension | 99 (43.4) | 317 (46.5) | 0.44 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 71 (31.1) | 233 (34.2) | 0.41 |
| Asthma | 18 (7.9) | 55 (8.1) | NS |
| COPD | 17 (7.5) | 49 (7.2) | 0.22 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 27 (11.9) | 96 (14.1) | 0.43 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 10 (4.4) | 42 (6.2) | 0.41 |
| Chronic renal disease | 12 (5.3) | 48(7) | 0.03 |
| Malignity | 5 (2.2) | 19 (2.8) | 0.81 |
| Congestive heart failure | 15 (6.6) | 52 (7.6) | 0.66 |
| Rheumatologic disease | 3 (1.3) | 21 (3.1) | 0.23 |
| Neurologic disease | 15 (6.6) | 42 (6.2) | 0.87 |
| C‐reactive protein (mg/L)a | 87 (39–140) | 109 (65–157) | <0.001 |
| Length of hospitalization (days) | 11 (7.2–17) | 10 (7–15) | 0.04 |
| Time from hospitalization to ICU admission (days) | 5 (3–7.7) | 3 (0‐6) | 0.01 |
| Admission to ICU, n (%) | 64 (28.1) | 191 (28) | NS |
| IMV in ICU, n (%) | 48 (21.1) | 137 (20.1) | 0.76 |
| Mortality, n (%) | 46 (20.2) | 149 (21.9) | 0.64 |
Note: Those with significant p values are indicated in bold (p values < 0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant). All continuous variables were reported as median and interquartile range.
Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ICU, intensive care unit; IMV, invasive mechanical ventilation; NS, not significant (p = 1.00); SD, standard deviation.
a
CRP normal range is between 0 and 5 mg/L.