Clinical outcome of neurological patients with COVID-19: the impact of healthcare organization improvement between waves

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences in clinical presentations and the impact of healthcare organization on outcomes of neurological COVID-19 patients admitted during the first and second pandemic waves. Methods In this single-center cohort study, we included all patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a Neuro-COVID Unit. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between patients admitted during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Two hundred twenty-three patients were included, of whom 112 and 111 were hospitalized during the first and second pandemic waves, respectively. Patients admitted during the second wave were younger and exhibited pulmonary COVID-19 severity, resulting in less oxygen support ( n = 41, 36.9% vs n = 79, 70.5%, p