Severity of 1st And 2nd Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: The WHO has classified the COVID-19 outbreak as the world's sixth public health emergency (PHEIC). The epidemiological curve's waves depict the pandemic's development. With this research, we aim at evaluating patients' first and second curve features of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and Methods: Between March 2020 and February 2021, all SARS COV-2 infection patients admitted to KRL Hospital Islamabad were studied cross-sectionally.

Patient admissions from September 2019 to August 2020 were split into two equal parts (i.e. 3 months each), with patients hospitalised from March 2020 to February 2021 being separated into a second equal portion (6 months each). Between April and September 2020, 57027 PCR tests were carried out.

Results: In this study, COVID-19 PCR positivity rate was 2.1% which equal to national positivity rate. The linear line shows the increasing trend of negative PCR tests, however, the negative PCR tests results flashed in the month of June. Mean length of hospital stay during the first wave was 10.5 and 14.5 during the second wave.

Conclusion: COVID-19 cases presented differently in both first and second waves of COVID-19 pandemic. The comparison of case presentation and severity of disease may help the healthcare professionals and epidemiologists to evaluate the treatment and management methods. It may highlight the effectiveness of administrative aspects of controlling the pandemic.