Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 UK-variant in the South East of France: impact on COVID-19 patients age, comorbidity profiles and clinical presentation (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The variant 20I/501Y.V1, associated to a higher risk of transmissibility, emerged in Nice city (South East of France, French Riviera) during January 2021. The pandemic has resumed late December 2020 in this aera. A high incidence rate together with a fast turn-over of the main circulating variants, provided us the opportunity to analyze modifications in clinical profile and outcome traits. Methods: Observational study in the University hospital of Nice from December 2020 to February 2021. We analyzed data of sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from the sewage collector and PCR screening from all positive samples at the hospital. Then, we described the characteristics of all COVID-19 patients admitted in the emergency department (ED) (n=1247) and those hospitalized in the infectious diseases ward or ICU (n=232). Results: the UK-variant was absent in this area in December, then increasingly spread in January representing 59% of the PCR screening performed mid-February. The rate of patients over 65 years admitted to the ED decreased from 63% to 50% (p=0.001). The mean age of hospitalized patients in the infectious diseases ward decreased from 70.7 to 59.2 (p<0.001) while the proportion of patients without comorbidity increased from 16% to 42% (p=0.007). Conclusion: Spread of the UK-variant in the South East of France affects younger and healthier patients.