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Mortality due to COVID-19 infection: A comparison of first and second waves

Olubunmi Oladunjoye1, Molly Gallagher2, Tom Wasser3

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Reading Hospital, Tower Health System, Reading, PA, USA.

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives
|November 22, 2021
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 mortality was lower in the second wave compared to the first. Increased use of steroids, remdesivir, and convalescent plasma in the second wave may have contributed to improved outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The United States experienced two major waves of COVID-19 in 2020.
  • The first wave occurred from March to July, followed by a surge in August after business restrictions were eased.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare demographic characteristics, treatments administered, and mortality rates between the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To identify factors influencing outcomes during different pandemic phases.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 4434 hospitalized COVID-19 patients across a six-hospital health system in the US.
  • Data collected between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, were compared between the first and second waves.

Main Results:

  • Mortality was significantly higher in the first wave (23.2%) versus the second wave (12.3%).
  • The first wave saw a higher proportion of Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients.
  • Higher mortality in the first wave persisted after adjusting for multiple clinical and demographic factors.

Conclusions:

  • The second wave of COVID-19 had lower mortality than the first wave.
  • Increased utilization of steroids, remdesivir, and convalescent plasma was observed in the second wave, correlating with improved survival.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19hospitalizationmortalitypandemic; SARS-CoV-2

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