[Comparison of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in two time periods of the pandemic].

Objective: The aim of the investigation was to compare patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection during 2020/2021 and 2022 with respect to the reason for hospitalization as well as severity of disease at admission, during follow-up and clinical outcomes.

Methods: The data of all patients patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the periods of interest were collected. Severity of disease at admission and during follow-up was compared in all patients who were hospitalized because of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Results: During the period of 2020 to 2021, overall n=1281 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were hospitalized as compared to n=580 in 2022. Of these, 90% and 42%, respectively, were admitted because of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The rates of nosocomial transmission increased from 5 to 18%. Severity of disease at admission and during follow-up was higher across all age groups in the first period. More patients were admitted to the ICU (25 versus 4%). Accordingly, hospital mortality was higher (17 versus 10%). Intubated patients had a high mortality of 74 and 80%, respectively, in both periods.

Conclusions: The severity at admission and during follow-up was much higher in the first period. In the second period, the burden of health care systems was only in part driven by disease severity but more by the need for isolation and nosocomial infections. Mortality of intubated patients was high.