The intensive care unit admissions and mortality rates of the Covid-19 patients whose chest imaging findings were progressed during hospitalization: Is there any difference between vaccinated or unvaccinated patients?

Abstract

<b>Aims and objectives:</b> The aim of this study is to determine whether vaccination status affects the intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death of the radiologically progressed patients. The study is also important since it is the first retrospective study among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in North Cyprus. <b>Methods:</b> This is an retrospective study based on the hospitalized patients in Pandemic Hospital, in Nicosia, North Cyprus between 1 October 2021 and 31 January 2022. Total number of cases are 189 (n=189). We compared the patients’s first and the fifth day chest images of the hospitalized patients. 81 of these patients showed progression on their chest imagings (computerized tomography or chest x-ray). These patients (n=81) are divided into 3 groups (fully vaccinated, without booster and unvaccinated) among their vaccination status whether they needed ICU admission or not. The fully vaccinated means they were vaccinated with inactive, mRNA or vector vaccines within 3 months or they get their booster vaccines in 3 months. <b>Results:</b> %56 (n=45) of the 81 patients were unvaccinated, where %28 (n=23) were without booster and %16 (n=13) were fully vaccinated. Among the unvaccinated patients %44 (n=20) needed further treatment in ICU and %22 (n=10) of them died. Among the full vaccinated patients %61.5 (n=8) of them needed ICU admission and %7.7 (n=1) of them died. In without booster subgroup %34.7 (n=8) needed ICU admission and %13 (n=3) of them died. <b>Conclusion:</b> This study have shown that the mortality rate in unvaccinated group is tripled (p=0.099).