The Clinical Course and Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 during Three Pandemic Waves in Poland: A Single Center Observational Study

Abstract

Background: The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Poland was reported on 4 March 2020. We aim to compare the clinical course and outcomes of patients hospitalized in the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw due to COVID-19 during three pandemic waves. Materials and methods: The medical data were collected for all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 hospitalized in our hospital from 6 March 2020 till 30 November 2021. COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed by nasopharyngeal swabs using real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) or SARS-CoV-2 antigen test. COVID-19 waves were defined based on the number and dynamics of cases. Results: Altogether, 2138 patient medical records were analyzed. The majority of the cohort was male (1235/2138, 57.8%), and the median age was 65 years [IQR: 50–74 years]. Patients hospitalized during the third wave had lower oxygen saturation on admission (p < 0.001) and were more likely to receive oxygen supplementation (p < 0.001). Serious complications, including pneumothorax (p < 0.001) and thromboembolic complications (p < 0.001), intensive care unit admission (p = 0.034), and death (p = 0.003), occurred more often in patients of the third wave. Conclusions: During the third wave, patients in our cohort experienced a more severe course of the disease and poorer outcomes.

The Clinical Effectiveness and Safety of Vaccinations against COVID-19 in HIV-Positive Patients: Data from Observational Study in Poland

“…Local epidemic waves in Poland have been distinguished according to the observed increase, peak, and decreases in new COVID-19 cases and observed variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to the observation of a huge cohort of almost 2200 patients that had been under the care of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw in the period from March 2020 to November 2021, the mortality rate varied from 10.7% in the first wave to 16.8% in the third wave [ 2 ].…”

“…At the end of December 2020 in Poland, the first vaccine against COVID-19 was introduced (BNT162b2) as part of a national program; however, not everyone was eligible to receive it at the end of 2020 [ 9 ]. In the beginning, healthcare workers and elderly persons were prioritized groups, soon followed by immunocompromised patients, including all HIV-positive persons (irrespective of CD4+ lymphocyte count) [ 2 ]. Up to April 2021, there were four vaccines available for Polish citizens, including BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1-nCoV-19, and Ad.26.COV.2-S [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

Evolving Clinical Manifestations and Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients: A Comparative Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Waves in a Romanian Hospital Setting

“…A European cohort of 4128 COVID-19 subjects noted a 1.8% prevalence of GI bleeding [42]. In a Polish one-center study, GI was most frequently described in patients hospitalized during the first pandemic wave [43]. GI bleeding was described in 60 patients from our study (0.66%), with the highest incidence during the Omicron wave (Table 2), and an OR of 9.28 in ICU-hospitalized patients (Table 3).…”

Immunological and Clinical Responses to Vaccinations among Adults Living with HIV

“…Considering the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and the major global threat, the development of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 became a new priority in vaccinology [57]. An increased risk of a severe clinical course of the disease was rapidly observed in the elderly and those with comorbidities, including patients living with HIV [58,59].…”