This alone could determine whether your COVID case is serious or not.

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 find them rapidly escalating into dangerous new territory within days or weeks. Now Scientists Are Rushing To Study Innovative Ways To Identify Patients Likely To Have Worst COVID Cases before their symptoms become severe. One such study from Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine found that there is indeed a simple way to predict which hospital patients are at risk for serious complications or death. Using a rapid blood test measuring mitochondrial DNA, researchers were able to spot patients who would later face 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 you should know, check out If you have these 4 symptoms, you might have the new strain of COVID.

“One of the most upsetting aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the inability of doctors to predict which newly hospitalized patients will develop serious illness, including complications requiring the insertion of a breathing tube, kidney dialysis or other intensive care ”. the study explains. While knowledge of medical history, age, and other risk factors can help predict results in a general sense, there have been many cases where apparently “low risk” patients have suffered from. 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 high levels were “almost six times more likely to be intubated, three times more likely to be admitted to the ICU, and almost twice as likely to die compared to those with lower levels,” it reads. in the study. “Mitochondrial DNA spilling out of cells and into the bloodstream is a sign that a particular 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 the study’s lead co-author, Andrew E. Gelman, PhD, Professor of Immunology in the Department of Surgery. “Our study suggests that tissue damage could be one cause of this spiral, since the mitochondrial DNA that is released is itself an inflammatory molecule.”

While preliminary results are promising, more research with a larger sample size is needed to confirm the team’s findings. Hopefully, this test could one day streamline COVID triage methods in hospitals, saving countless lives.

Wondering if you are at risk for serious complications from COVID? Read on to learn about some surprising symptoms and signs that could predict a serious COVID case in your future, and for more information on COVID, see If you’re over 65, you shouldn’t get this new vaccine, warn experts.

There are many co-morbidities that can put you at increased risk for severe COVID. But beyond those that have gained national attention, such as diabetes, cancer or obesity, much has gone under the radar. A study from January 12, 2021 published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research reveals that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disease that affects nearly 25 million Americans, are at increased risk for complications from COVID. Using data from 445 COVID patients, the researchers found that while just over 8% of subjects had OSA, a disproportionate 21% of patients with severe COVID were determined to have the disease. And to learn more about factors you didn’t know were linked to severe cases of the virus, check out The CDC Just Confirmed That This Disorder Could Put You At Risk For Severe COVID.

In a study published in a January 25 journal in the JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers have determined that knowing whether or not you smoke can help predict your likelihood of severe COVID. The team studied 7,102 COVID-positive patients in the Cleveland Clinic health system in Ohio and Florida, and found that patients who had smoked an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years or more were 2, 25 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who had never smoked. And for tips on staying healthy, check out If You’re Doing This To Your Mask The CDC Says You Need A New One.

Beyond pre-existing conditions and health habits, some researchers claim that your blood type can also influence whether or not you develop a severe case of COVID. 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 patients with COVID-19 to 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 blood groups that have the opposite link, see If you have any of these blood types, you may be safe from COVID.

Having certain variant genes can also play a role in the severity of your COVID case. A recent study in the UK of 2,200 patients with severe COVID, which has not yet been peer reviewed, found that a particular variant found in the region of chromosome 3 was associated with an increased risk of 30 % of severe COVID-19. As the researchers explain in their results, “a single copy of the variant associated with the disease more than doubles an infected person’s chances of developing severe COVID-19.” And for some good COVID news, check out Dr Fauci finally has “very encouraging” news on COVID.