Differential Features Among COVID-19 Patients During the Epidemiological Peaks in the Southwestern Region of Colombia During the 2020-2022 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iatreia.332Keywords:
COVID-19, Disease Transmission Infectious, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2, VaccinationAbstract
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection represents a significant global public health threat. In Colombia, more than 6 million cases have been confirmed, with a lack of updated statistical data from the southwestern region, preventing the determination of differences in clinical characteristics, severity factors, and outcomes across each wave.
Objective: To determine the characteristics of adult COVID-19 patients across the four disease waves in an emergency department.
Methods: A retrospective longitudinal descriptive study was conducted. Quantitative variables were expressed using measures of central tendency and dispersion, while categorical variables were expressed as proportions.
Results: A total of 8,172 patients were included, distributed across four waves: first (18.6%), second (28.8%), third (32.1%), and fourth (20.4%). The third wave demonstrated the highest severity (31.6% severe cases, 12.7% mortality) and elevated levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, ferritin). The fourth wave, following the initiation of vaccination, exhibited reduced severity and mortality (6.7%), with fewer critical cases among vaccinated individuals (3.5%) compared to unvaccinated individuals (11.7%).
Conclusions: Our findings align with other studies, suggesting that vaccination significantly influenced hospital outcomes, mortality rates, and the reduction of new severe and critical cases.
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