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Updated: Aug 8, 2025

Determining the Likelihood of Variant Pathogenicity Using Amino Acid-level Signal-to-Noise Analysis of Genetic Variation
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Published on: January 16, 2019

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Does the variant positivity and negativity affect the clinical course in COVID-19?: A cohort study

Erkan Yildirim1, Levent Kilickan2, Suleyman Hilmi Aksoy3,4

  • 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hisar Intercontinental Hospital, Umraniye, Istanbul, Turkiye.

Medicine
|March 2, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The UK variant of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to more severe early and late complications, including bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Invasive treatments like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were more common in patients with the UK variant.

Area of Science:

  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pulmonology

Background:

  • The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as the UK variant, has impacted Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical presentation and outcomes.
  • Understanding the differences in patient data and treatment approaches before and after the UK variant's prevalence is crucial for managing the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare clinical, laboratory, and demographic data of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) before and after the UK variant's diagnosis.
  • To describe the treatment strategies employed for COVID-19 patients in relation to the circulating variant.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 159 COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU between March 2020 and June 2021.
  • Patients were categorized into two groups: variant negative (pre-December 2020) and variant positive (post-December 2020).
  • Statistical analysis included comparison of early/late complications, demographics, symptoms, comorbidities, intubation, mortality, and treatments.

Main Results:

  • The variant positive group showed higher rates of bilateral pneumonia, secondary gram (+) infection, pulmonary fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and septic shock.
  • Unilateral pneumonia was more frequent in the variant negative group.
  • Plasma exchange and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were utilized more in the variant positive group, despite similar mortality and intubation rates.

Conclusions:

  • The UK variant of COVID-19 is associated with a higher incidence of severe early and late complications, necessitating more invasive treatment modalities.
  • While mortality and intubation rates did not significantly differ, the increased severity of complications in the variant positive group highlights the evolving challenges of COVID-19.
  • The findings underscore the need for adaptive strategies in managing future pandemics and variant-specific infections.

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