Short communication
Different pattern of the second outbreak of COVID-19 in Marseille, France

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.005Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • The number of COVID-19 cases in Marseille, France, peaked in March-April.

  • Resurgence was observed in June-August.

  • Patients in the two periods did not present marked age and sex differences.

  • Markers of severity were less prevalent in the summer period.

  • A 10 times decrease in the lethality rate was observed in June-August.

Abstract

Objective

To describe the characteristics of COVID-19 patients seen in March-April and June-August 2020 in Marseille, France with the aim to investigate possible changes in the disease between these two time periods.

Methods

Demographics, hospitalization rate, transfer to intensive care unit (ICU), lethality, clinical and biological parameters were investigated.

Results

Compared to those seen in March-April, COVID-19 patients seen in June-August were significantly younger (39.2 vs. 45.3 years), more likely to be male (52.9% vs. 45.6%), and less likely to be hospitalized (10.7 vs. 18.0%), to be transferred to ICU (0.9% vs. 1.8%) and to die (0.1% vs. 1.1%). Their mean fibrinogen and D-dimer blood levels were lower (1.0 vs. 1.5 g/L and 0.6 vs. 1.1 μg/mL, respectively). By contrast, their viral load was higher (cycle threshold ≤16 = 5.1% vs. 3.7%).

Conclusions

Patients in the two periods did not present marked age and sex differences, but markers of severity were undoubtedly less prevalent in the summer period, associating with a 10 times decrease in the lethality rate.

Keywords

COVID-19
Seasonality
Severity markers
Lethality

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