SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has a reputation for being unpredictable. Patients may start their infection with a relatively mild set of symptoms, only to quickly escalate into dangerous new areas in the days or weeks that follow. Now scientists are rushing to study innovative ways to identify the patients who may have the worst COVID cases before their symptoms become severe. One of these studies from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that there is indeed an easy way to predict which patients in the hospital are at risk of serious complications or death. Using a rapid blood test that measures mitochondrial DNA, the researchers were able to track down patients who would later develop the most severe COVID cases in a group of 100 hospitalized patients. Read on to learn more about their game-changing test, and for more signs to know, visit If You Have These 4 Symptoms You Might Have the New COVID Strain.
“One of the most irritating aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the inability of doctors to predict which newly hospitalized patients will develop serious illness, including complications requiring ventilation tube insertion, kidney dialysis, or other intensive care.” the study explains. While knowledge of medical history, age, and other risk factors can help predict outcomes in a general sense, there have been many instances where apparently “low-risk” patients have developed serious infections or death.
The answer could be linked to mitochondrial DNA, the researchers suggest. On average, the team found that mitochondrial DNA levels increased tenfold in patients with COVID-19 who developed severe lung dysfunction or died later. Those with elevated levels were “nearly six times more likely to be intubated, three times more likely to be admitted to IC, and nearly twice as likely to die compared to those with lower levels,” the study said. “Mitochondrial DNA flowing out of cells into the bloodstream is a sign that some type of violent cell death is taking place in the body,” the researchers further explain.
“There is so much we still don’t understand about this disease,” said study co-senior author. Andrew E. Gelman, PhD, a professor of immunology in the department of surgery. “Our study suggests that tissue damage may be one of the causes of this spiral, as the mitochondrial DNA that is released is itself an inflammatory molecule.”
While the preliminary results are promising, more research with a larger sample size is needed to confirm the team’s findings. With luck, this test could one day streamline COVID triage methods in hospitals and save countless lives.
Wondering if you’re 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 for more COVID news, visit If You’re Over 65 You Shouldn’t Get This New Vaccine, Experts Warn.
There are many co-morbidities that can put you at an increased risk for severe COVID. But aside from those that have garnered national attention, such as diabetes, cancer or obesity, one has largely flown under the radar. A study from Jan. 12, 2021 published in BMJ Open Respiratory Examination 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 patients with severe COVID were determined to have the condition. And for more information on factors you didn’t know were associated with serious cases of the virus, see The CDC Just Confirmed This Disorder Can Put You at Risk for Serious COVID.
In a study published in a Jan. 25 review in the JAMA Internal Medicine, the researchers found that knowing if you smoke can help predict your likelihood of severe COVID. The team studied 7,102 COVID-positive patients within the Cleveland Clinic Health system in Ohio and Florida, and found that patients who smoked an average of one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or more were 2.25 times more likely to be hospitalized. be included than those who had never smoked. And for advice on staying healthy, check out If You’re Doing This With Your Mask, The CDC Says You Need a New One.
In addition to pre-existing conditions and health habits, some researchers say your blood type can also affect whether or not you develop a serious COVID case. Scientists from the GenOMICC Consortium, a research group that studies the links between serious diseases and genes, compared the genes of more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients with those of healthy people, The Washington Post reports. They found that people with type A blood are more likely to become seriously ill when infected with SARS-CoV-2. And for the blood types that have the opposite connection, see If You Have One of These Blood Types You Might Be Safe From COVID.
Having certain gene variants can also play a role in whether your COVID case becomes serious. A recent UK study of 2,200 patients with severe COVID, not yet peer-reviewed, found that a particular variant found in the chromosome 3 region was associated with a 30 percent increased risk of severe COVID-19. As the researchers explain in their findings, “a single copy of the disease-related variant more than doubles the chance that an infected person will develop severe COVID-19.” And for some good COVID news, check out Dr. Fauci finally has some “very encouraging” news about COVID.