A study conducted through the EuroSAVE Network from December 2021 to March 2024 in five European middle-income countries/areas compared the odds of severe outcomes and death among hospitalized patients meeting the WHO severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) definition, based on their respiratory virus test results.

The objective was to understand changes in virus severity to guide public health interventions.

Using data from 25 hospitals, adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for a composite severe outcome (ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, ECMO, or death) and for death were calculated, using influenza-positive patients as the reference group. SARS-CoV-2 patients were analyzed across three time periods.

Out of 7,776 patients, 13% had a severe outcome and 4% died. Compared to influenza patients, SARS-CoV-2-positive patients consistently showed higher odds of a severe outcome across all three periods: Period 1 (aOR 1.85), Period 2 (aOR 2.04), and Period 3 (aOR 1.68). SARS-CoV-2 patients also had higher odds of death in Period 1 (aOR 3.01) and Period 3 (aOR 2.14).

The study concludes that hospitalized SARI patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 had higher odds of severe outcomes than those with influenza throughout the study period, and higher odds of death in two periods.

These findings underscore the ongoing need for COVID-19-related public health interventions, including vaccination and in-hospital care.

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