The changing characteristics of COVID-19 presentations. A regional comparison of SARS-CoV-2 hospitalised patients during the first and second wave.

BACKGROUND:This study assesses COVID-19 hospitalised patient demography and outcomes during wave 1 and wave 2, prior to new variants of the virus. METHODS:All patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 swab between 10th March 2020 and 5th July 2020 (wave 1) and 1st September 2020 and 16th November 2020 (wave 2) admitted to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust were included (n=4856), followed for 28 days. RESULTS:Wave 2 patients were younger, more ethnically diverse, had less co-morbidities and disease presentation was milder on presentation. After matching for these factors, mortality was reduced, but without differences in intensive care admissions. CONCLUSION:Prior to new SARS-CoV-2 variants, outcomes for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 were improving but with similar intensive care needs.