SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has a reputation for being unpredictable. Patients can start their infection with a relatively mild set of symptoms, only to find that they escalate rapidly into dangerous new areas in the days or weeks thereafter. Now scientists are rushing to study innovative ways to identify patients who may suffer the worst COVID cases previously their symptoms become severe. One such study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that there is indeed a simple way to predict which patients in the hospital are at risk of having serious complications or death. Using a rapid blood test that measures mitochondrial DNA, the researchers were able to detect patients who would later experience the most severe COVID cases in a group of 100 hospital patients. Read on for more information on their game change test, and read more if you have these 4 symptoms, you may have the new COVID voltage.
“One of the most disturbing aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the inability of doctors to predict which patients recently admitted to hospital will develop serious illnesses, including complications involving the insertion of a breathing tube, renal dialysis or other require intensive care, “the study explains. Although knowledge of medical history, age, and other risk factors may help predict the results in a general sense, there have been many cases in which apparently ‘low-risk’ patients have had serious infections or death.
The answer could be linked to mitochondrial DNA, the researchers believe. The team found, on average, that mitochondrial DNA levels were increased tenfold in patients with COVID-19 who developed severe lung function or later died. Those with elevated levels were “nearly six times more likely to be incubated, three times more likely to be admitted to the ICU, and nearly twice as likely to die compared to those with lower levels,” the study said. . “Mitochondrial DNA that leaks out of cells and into the bloodstream is a sign that a certain type of violent cell death is taking place in the body,” the researchers further explain.
“There is so much we do not yet understand about this disease,” said co-author of the study. Andrew E. Gelman, PhD, a professor of immunology at the Department of Surgery. “Our study suggests that tissue damage may be one cause of this spiral, since the mitochondrial DNA that is released is itself an inflammatory molecule.”
Although the preliminary results are promising, more research with a larger sample size is needed to confirm the team’s findings. With any luck, this test could one day stream the COVID treaty methods into hospitals, and it countless lives.
Are you wondering if you are at risk for serious COVID complications? Read on for some surprising symptoms and signs that could predict a serious COVID case in your future, and look for more COVID news If you’re over 65, you should not get this new vaccine, experts warn.
There are many co-morbidities that can put you at increased risk for severe COVID. But beyond those that have attracted national attention, such as diabetes, cancer or obesity, one has largely flown under the radar. A study published on January 12, 2021 in BMJ Open Respiratory Research reveals that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that affects nearly 25 million Americans, are at increased risk for COVID complications. Using data from 445 COVID patients, the researchers found that while just over 8 percent of the subjects suffered from OSA, a disproportionate 21 percent of the patients with severe COVID were determined to have the condition. And for more information on factors you did not know were linked to severe cases of the virus, check out The CDC has just confirmed that this disorder may put you at risk for severe COVID.
In a study published in a January 25 review in the JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers have determined that predicting your likelihood of severe COVID to know if you smoke or not. The team studied 7,102 COVID-positive patients within the Cleveland Clinic Health system in Ohio and Florida and found that patients who smoked on average one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or longer were 2.25 times more likely to be in the to be admitted to hospital if those have never smoked. And consult the CDC if you do this to your mask, you say you need a new one.
In addition to previous conditions and health habits, some researchers say that your blood type may also affect whether or not you develop a severe COVID case. Scientists from the GenOMICC Consortium, a research group studying the links between serious diseases and genes, compare the genes of more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients with those of healthy people. The Washington Post reports. They found that those with type A blood were more likely to become seriously ill if they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. And for the blood groups that have the opposite connection, look at If you have one of these blood groups, you can be safe for COVID.
If you have certain gene variants, it may also play a role or your COVID case becomes serious. One recent study in the UK among 2,200 patients with severe COVID, who have not yet been peer-reviewed, found that one specific variant occurring in the chromosome 3 region is associated with an increased risk of 30 COVID 19 by 30 percent. As the researchers explain in their findings, a single copy of the disease-associated variant more than doubles the chance of an infected person developing serious COVID-19. ‘And for some well COVID news, look at Dr. Fauci finally has a lot of “encouraging” news about COVID.