Clinical characterization of hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the second wave of pandemic in the district of Rohrbach, Upper Austria

During the peak of the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in November 2020, the district of Rohrbach, Upper Austria, was reported to have had the highest 7‑day incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‑2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive cases worldwide. In this study, we present the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases during the second wave of the pandemic in patients admitted to the only primary care hospital in the district of Rohrbach between October 2020 and February 2021. In total, 260 patients were hospitalized with a mean age of 72 years and a mortality rate of 14.6% and 13 patients (5%) were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). Critically ill patients (22.7%) were of older age and often lived in retirement and nursing facilities as compared to mild or moderately ill patients. Patients with a severe disease course showed significantly longer hospitalization, a worse peripheral oxygen saturation on admission and significantly higher levels of C‑reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), troponin I and D‑dimer as compared to mild or moderate COVID-19 cases. These laboratory parameters might help to identify COVID-19 patients with a severe disease course. In conclusion, we could show that older, frail individuals are the most vulnerable group affected by COVID-19. Whether this trend in hospitalized patients continues with the persistence of the pandemic, the emergence of novel virus mutations, and the availability of several different vaccines is presently unclear and remains to be determined.