Comparative study of COVID- 19 pneumonia in first and second waves

ABSTRACT

Background: The main aim of the study was to evaluate the different parameters of the COVID-19 pneumonia in India during the first and second waves. Method: Five hundred RT-PCR positive and HRCT documented COVID-19 pneumonia patients each from first wave (June 2020-December 2020) and second wave (March 2021-May 2021) were selected. The results were evaluated in terms of age groups affected, gender wise distribution, and CT severity score on HRCT. The final conclusion was done by comparing these variables from first wave with the ones during the second wave and inferences drawn upon thereof. Results: During the first wave, majority of the population involved belonged to more than 45 years category whereas during the second wave majority belonged to the 18-45 years category. Further, the severity of the disease was more during the second wave than the first wave with more males being affected than females in both the waves. Conclusion: Second COVID-19 wave in India was more severe than the first wave in terms of the number of patients affected as well as the severity of the pneumonia in the involved patients, likely due to continuously mutating variants of the virus & lifting up of the restrictions.