Hospital in the time of Covid-19: hospital admissions and mortality

Objective: To describe the evolution of the hospital admissions in the medical and surgical areas and intensive care units and that of the mortality in the hospital of an area affected with average incidence rates of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Observational study of all admissions in the medical services and deaths that were registered between March 1st and April 30th of years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 in a General Hospital. We consider 00.00 on March 14th of 2020 as the beginning of the alarm state and as cut-off point between two periods: before the state of alert (March 1-13) and the state of alert (March 14- April 30) Results: Comparing the months of March-April of years 2017, 2018, 2019 to 2020 a decrease in the number of admissions can be observed : 23,33% (Medical area), 33,46% (Surgical area) and 38,37% (Intensive Care Units), (p<0,0001 in every case). In the medical and surgical areas decreased with the beginning of state of alert's official statement and in Intensive Care Units two weeks after. During peak times patients with COVID-19 took up 9,8% of total beds of the Center. At the same dates fatalities decreased in the medical and surgical areas 3,98% and 13,13% respectively (p=NS) and increased slightly (17,59%; p<0,001) in Intensive Care Units. Conclusions: After the state of alert's official statement in an healthcare area with average impact of COVID19 pandemic, hospital admissions dropped significantly without showing an excess in mortality.