Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of All Three COVID-19 Waves: A Single-center Experience

Context: With the growing incidence of cases in the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV2), there have been a number of spikes in the cases over the last 3 years and India has witnessed three waves of different strains of SARS-CoV2. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient demographics, the population at risk, signs and symptoms presented, the effect of comorbidities, and treatment outcomes. Settings and design: Retrospective noninterventional observational study. Materials and methods: From January 2020 to February 2022, a study was carried out at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal, Haryana. The study included all inpatients above the age of 18 years who tested positive for COVID-19 through either a rapid antigen test (RAT) or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs. The sample size of the study was 300. Results: In all three waves, the incidence of COVID-19 was more common among men. The average age of patients was 39.8, 49, and 50 years in waves one, two, and three, respectively. Among various comorbidities, diabetes was the most prevalent, with 25, 33, and 29% of patients affected in waves one, two, and three, respectively. In the first wave, all patients received antiviral therapy, while in the second and third waves, 70 and 10% of patients were treated with antivirals, respectively. During the third wave, 60% of patients had received two doses of vaccine and 16% had received a single dose. Conclusion: The study provides insights into the patient characteristics, management, and treatment of COVID-19 patients in three different waves. Clinical significance: The study gives a bird's eye view of the treatment across the three waves and the evolution of management strategies. Also, the effectiveness of vaccination was seen in the third wave.