Pneumonia in newly diagnosed patients infected with the Omicron variant: a population-based study of Chinese patients in Chongqing

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is the main complication of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2; however, the incidence proportions and prognostic factors for Omicron-associated pneumonia have not been established. We conducted this study to characterise the incidence proportions and influence of various factors on prognosis of Omicron-associated pneumonia. METHODS: We collected data from 714 patients infected with the Omicron variant in The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (Chongqing, China) who were divided into different groups for analysis. RESULTS: We identified 313 patients with Omicron-associated pneumonia at the time of diagnosis of patients infected with the Omicron variant, representing 43.8% of the entire cohort. A total of 82 were 15–59 years old, 71 were 60–69 years old, 76 were 70–79 years old and 84 were >80 years old. 133 were female and 180 were male. Incidence proportions of pneumonia were highest among patients with cardiovascular (82.4% of the basic disease of the cardiovascular system subset) or kidney disease (92.3% of the kidney disease subset), whereas patients with lung cancer (35.7% of the lung cancer subset) had a lower incidence proportion. Several factors were associated with the prognosis of pneumonia in patients infected with the Omicron variant. Patients with a thrombosis or pleural effusion had a longer hospitalisation time. Paxlovid and immunoglobulins improved the prognosis of patients with severe pneumonia. The following measures were significantly different in patients as a function of disease severity: number of neutrophils and lymphocytes, partial oxygen pressure; and myoglobin, lactic dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase and procalcitonin levels. CONCLUSION: Patients infected with the Omicron variant with coexisting cardiovascular or kidney disease, but not respiratory disease, had a higher incidence proportion of pneumonia. Paxlovid and immunoglobulins can be used in patients with severe infections to improve prognosis.