A new study has revealed the factors which can increase or decrease the risk of death by COVID-19. It says that the patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19 are more likely to suffer death if they are obese men or have diabetes or high blood pressure.
This study conducted by the research team from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) is all set to get published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
These results are based on the data obtained from 67,000 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in more than 600 different hospitals countrywide. The main target was to find out if there is a potential link between any trait and the death by COVID-19, in order to determine who has the highest threat.
The data analysis revealed that men are 30% more likely to suffer death by COVID-19 as compared to women despite sharing the same age and other factors. In addition to that, obesity was observed as a factor directly involved in COVID-19 related deaths. Those who were either suffering from high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes type 2 were also at a high risk of COVID-19 complications including death.
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surprisingly this risk was not just confined to the older people and much more obvious in middle age people.
According to Anthony D. Harris from the UMSOM, this risk prediction for death by COVID-19 can give an idea about who needs more care during hospitalization. Estimating these risk factors is necessary because the COVID-19 cases are not taking an end and continue to rise.
Based on this estimation on which patients need more care or which patient is at higher risk of losing his life, a doctor can take better treatment decisions for him. For example, some of the high-risk patients are treated with a commonly used medicine called remdesivir which is helpful to save from further complications. In earlier cases, it has helped many patients and saved them from close monitoring or intensive care.
That’s why evaluating such risks finding how a COVID-19 patient can get maximum benefit can lower the chance of death.
Although age is an important risk factor for evaluating any disease risk, but for COVID-19, it is different. The lowest death rate was observed in children, indicating that the children and infants are least affected by the COVID-19. This death risk is highest among middle to old age people and highest for people over 80 years of age.
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Old age is generally related to complications, problems, and death but in the case of COVID-19, even the younger ones are losing their lives if they are obese, diabetic, or hypertensive.
For this reason, doctors should know which patients need more care so that if there is any unusual disease manifestation or sign, they can quickly address it.
This study has also ended up with good things. Like, it states that the hospitalization rate by COVID-19 is dropped now as compared to March-April when the pandemic was on peak. The medical staff is now prepared and handling the situations better than before. It has also acknowledged the availability of treatment options, and care which was previously not available for COVID-19 patients.
