[COVID 19 - Hospital Admission in the First and Second Wave in Germany]

We analyzed patients' characteristics and hospital admission in Germany's first and second COVID 19 wave.

We include all patients hospitalized with the proven diagnosis COVID 19 admitted to the HELIOS Hospital Krefeld, Germany, in the first wave (n = 84; from 11.03.2020-30.06.2020) and the second wave (n = 344; from 01.07.2020-31.01.2021).

Patients' age, gender and comorbidities were similar with the exception of venous thrombosis in medical history which was more frequent in the first wave (6 % vs 0.3 %, p = p = 0,001). At admission, there were no differences in the results of the initial lab values (c-reactive protein, leucocytes) and blood gas analyses between both groups. Treatment differed in the application of dexamethasone and anticoagulation. In the first wave, nobody received dexamethasone. However, this changed to 52.6 % of patients in the second wave for a mean length of 3.6 ± 4.1 days. Anticoagulation with double standard prophylaxis (2 × 40 mg low molecular heparin, subcutaneous) was applied in 7.1 % of patients in the first wave but 30.2 % (p = 0.002) in the second wave. In the first wave more thromboembolic events were diagnosed after admission (19.0 % vs 7.0 %, p = 0.001). In-hospital death was 26.2 % in the first wave and 15.4 % in the second wave (p = 0.0234). Most deaths were attributed to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Patients' characteristics did not vary in Germany's first and second COVID 19 wave, but anticoagulation and dexamethasone were applied more frequently in the second wave. In addition, there were fewer thromboembolic complications in the second wave.