Mortality in a swiftly repurposed hospital in northeast Brazil during the first and second COVID-19 waves: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: The first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic demanded rapid re-organization of available local resources. This study evaluated the performance of a private hospital in the Brazilian state of Ceará that was swiftly repurposed into a public tertiary COVID-19 centre during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it improved in the second wave. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 2492 patients with COVID-19 at Hospital Estadual Leonardo da Vinci (HELV) during the first and second waves. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected using a dedicated web platform (ResCOVID). A Poisson regression model was used to estimate factors associated with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Differences in demographics and clinical features were found between the two waves. There was reduced in-hospital mortality during the second wave (36.2%) in comparison with the first wave (48.8%). Invasive mechanical ventilation showed the strongest association with increased risk of death in both waves {first wave: relative risk (RR) 4.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.86–6.41], P<0.001; second wave: RR 12.94 (95% CI 3.4–49.12), P<0.001}. CONCLUSIONS: HELV was a pillar in the strategic public health plan to respond to COVID-19 in Ceará, helping to assist a group of moderate-to-severe cases and reduce the pressure on emergency and primary care facilities. Although mortality in intubated individuals remained high, there was an overall decrease in the in-hospital mortality rate in the second wave.