Differences in the Clinical Course of COVID-19 in Patients Hospitalized in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 Seasons

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The aim of this analysis of data from the multi-year nationwide SARSTer program in Poland was to compare the clinical presentation and course of COVID-19 in the last two infectious seasons. <b>Methods</b>: Clinical data from 719 consecutive patients hospitalized between April 2023 and March 2024 were compared with data from 360 patients hospitalized between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. <b>Results</b>: In the 2023/2024 season, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 occurred primarily between September and January, and in the 2024/2025 season, the majority of hospitalizations occurred between July and November. In the 2024/2025 season, we documented a change in the age structure, with an increasing predominance of hospitalized patients over 70 years of age (68% vs. 60% in 2023/2024), a milder disease manifestation, reflected in a significantly lower percentage of patients with pulmonary lesions (19% vs. 24%), an improvement in the clinical course of the disease, reflected in a halving of the number of hospitalizations, a significantly higher percentage of patients with clinical improvement in subsequent weeks of hospitalization, including those discharged from the hospital within the first week (39% vs. 30%), and a significantly lower mortality rate (4.7% vs. 7.9%), especially among patients over 70 years of age (5.4% vs. 10.4%). This indicates that the trend of a milder disease course initiated by the emergence of the Omicron variant continues. <b>Conclusions</b>: In conclusion, our findings provide real-world clinical evidence of the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in the post-pandemic era.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Published
2025-08-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14175992
Citations
3
Primary Topic
COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.19
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article

Differences in the Clinical Course of COVID-19 in Patients Hospitalized in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 Seasons

Katarzyna Sikorska, Krystyna Dobrowolska, Michał Brzdęk, Magdalena Rogalska et al.
3 citations
Journal of Clinical Medicine
COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
4.19
article

Differences in the Clinical Course of COVID-19 in Patients Hospitalized in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 Seasons

Katarzyna Sikorska, Krystyna Dobrowolska, Michał Brzdęk, Magdalena Rogalska, Marta Rorat, Justyna Dominika Kowalska, Dorota Kozielewicz, Piotr Rzymski, Robert Flisiak, Anna M. Moniuszko-Malinowska, Łukasz Supronowicz, Magdalena Stankiewicz, Damian Piotrowski, Włodzimierz Mazur, Dorota Zarębska‐Michaluk
article en
3 citations

Abstract

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The aim of this analysis of data from the multi-year nationwide SARSTer program in Poland was to compare the clinical presentation and course of COVID-19 in the last two infectious seasons. <b>Methods</b>: Clinical data from 719 consecutive patients hospitalized between April 2023 and March 2024 were compared with data from 360 patients hospitalized between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. <b>Results</b>: In the 2023/2024 season, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 occurred primarily between September and January, and in the 2024/2025 season, the majority of hospitalizations occurred between July and November. In the 2024/2025 season, we documented a change in the age structure, with an increasing predominance of hospitalized patients over 70 years of age (68% vs. 60% in 2023/2024), a milder disease manifestation, reflected in a significantly lower percentage of patients with pulmonary lesions (19% vs. 24%), an improvement in the clinical course of the disease, reflected in a halving of the number of hospitalizations, a significantly higher percentage of patients with clinical improvement in subsequent weeks of hospitalization, including those discharged from the hospital within the first week (39% vs. 30%), and a significantly lower mortality rate (4.7% vs. 7.9%), especially among patients over 70 years of age (5.4% vs. 10.4%). This indicates that the trend of a milder disease course initiated by the emergence of the Omicron variant continues. <b>Conclusions</b>: In conclusion, our findings provide real-world clinical evidence of the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in the post-pandemic era.

Journal of Clinical MedicineVol. 14(17)
Wrocław University of Science and Technology (PL), Poznan University of Medical Sciences (PL), Medical University of Lublin (PL), Medical University of Białystok (PL), Medical University of Silesia (PL), Jan Kochanowski University (PL), Medical University of Warsaw (PL), Nicolaus Copernicus University (PL), Medical University of Lodz (PL), Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz (PL), AGH University of Krakow (PL), Gdańsk Medical University (PL)
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
4.19
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