Coronovirus

High BP, diabetes might increase risk of death in coronavirus patients


Beijing: People who are older or have underlying diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes may be at a higher risk of death from the new coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a study published in The Lancet journal.

The observational study was carried on 191 patients with confirmed COVID-19 from two hospitals in Wuhan, China. 

The study is the first time researchers have examined risk factors associated with severe disease and death in hospitalized adults who have either died or been discharged from the hospital.

"Older age, showing signs of sepsis on admission, underlying diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, and the prolonged use of non-invasive ventilation were important factors in the deaths of these patients," said Zhibo Liu from Jinyintan Hospital, China. 

However, we need to be clear that viral shedding time should not be confused with other self-isolation guidance for people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 but do not have symptoms, as this guidance is based on the incubation time of the virus," said Cao.

The researchers recommend that negative tests for COVID-19 should be required before patients are discharged from the hospital.

In severe influenza, delayed viral treatment extends how long the virus is shed, and together these factors put infected patients at risk of dying, they said.

The researchers noted that effective antiviral treatment may improve outcomes in COVID-19, although they did not observe the shortening of viral shedding duration after antiviral treatment in the study.

For the first time, the study describes the complete picture of the progression of the COVID-19.

The median duration of fever was about 12 days in survivors, which was similar in non-survivors.

However, the cough may last for a long time -- 45 percent of survivors still had a cough on discharge, the study found.

In survivors, dyspnoea (shortness of breath) would cease after about 13 days but would last until death in non-survivors.

The study also illustrates the time of the occurrence of different complications such as sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute cardiac injury, acute kidney injury and secondary infection.