Clinical Features of Adult COVID-19 Patients without Risk Factors before and after the Nationwide SARSCoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta)-variant Outbreak in Korea: Experience from Gyeongsangnam-do
10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e341
- Author:
Byung-Han RYU
1
;
Sun In HONG
;
Su Jin LIM
;
Younghwa CHO
;
Cheolgu HWANG
;
Hyungseok KANG
;
Si-Ho KIM
;
Yu Mi WI
;
Kyung-Wook HONG
;
In-Gyu BAE
;
Oh-Hyun CHO
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon, Korea
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2021;36(49):e341-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background:Data on severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant virulence are insufficient. We retrospectively compared the clinical features of adult coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients without risk factors for severe COVID-19 who entered residential treatment centers (RTCs) before and after the delta variant outbreak.
Methods:We collected medical information from two RTCs in South Korea. On the basis of nationwide delta variant surveillance, we divided the patients into two groups: 1) the delta-minor group (diagnosed from December 2020–June 2021, detection rate < 10%) and 2) the delta-dominant group (diagnosed during August 2021, detection rate > 90%). After propensity-score matching, the incidences of pneumonia, hospital transfer and need for supplemental oxygen were compared between the groups. In addition, risk factors for hospital transfer were analysed.
Results:A total of 1,915 patients were included. The incidence of pneumonia (14.6% vs.9.2%, P = 0.009), all-cause hospital transfer (10.4% vs. 6.3%, P = 0.020) and COVID-19-related hospital transfer (7.5% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.081) were higher in the delta-dominant group than those in the delta-minor group. In the multivariate analysis, the delta-dominant group was an independent risk factor for all-cause (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–3.13; P = 0.011) and COVID-19-related hospital transfer (aOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.04–3.32; P = 0.036).
Conclusion:Hospitalization rates were increased in the adult COVID-19 patients during the delta variant nationwide outbreak. Our results showed that the delta variant may be more virulent than previous lineages.
