Dynamics of Clinical, Radiological, and Biological Expression in Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients and Post-Infectious Mortality: Comparison Between 2024 and 2020

Clinical manifestations and mortality caused by SARS-CoV-2 change, consistent with circulating viral variants and population immunity. Our retrospective study analyses the hospitalised COVID-19 cases from Romania in 2024 comparative with 2020. The circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the fourth year of the pandemic led to changes in the characteristics of the hospitalised population, including clinical, biological, and radiological profiles, as well as an increase in 90-day mortality after hospitalisation. The hospitalised population became predominantly older with multiple comorbidities. Notable changes in symptomatology included an increase in the frequency of rhinorrhoea and syncope, while disturbances in taste and smell were less frequent. The mortality rate within the first 90 days increased in 2024 to 9%. Older age and a higher index of chronic comorbidities were associated with a higher frequency of severe forms and deaths within 90 days post-COVID-19. Hospitalisation for COVID-19 may be an unfavourable prognostic factor for the elderly population.