How severely a case of coronavirus a person will develop may depend on five indicators found in the blood called biomarkers, according to researchers from George Washington University.
The biomarkers were associated with higher chances of COVID-19 degradation and death, according to a university news release. The authors of the study, published in Future Medicine, said they decided on their research after initial findings in China showed that biomarkers were associated with poor outcomes in patients with the new coronavirus.
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“This study identified these five biomarkers as an association with poor outcomes and not cause in a U.S. cohort,” said study authors Dr Juan Reyes and Drs. Shant Ayanian in a combined statement to Fox News.
The team of researchers from George Washington University studied the blood of 299 patients positive for COVID-19. They then analyzed five biomarkers present in the patients’ blood, according to the release. Two hundred of the patients had all five biomarkers analyzed, including CRP, D-dimer, IL-6, LDH, and ferritin.
Elevated levels of these biomarkers were associated with bleeding disorders and inflammation which, according to the news release, left an increased risk for ICU admission, ventilation support, and death. The authors reported that the greatest risk of death occurred when the D-dimer level was greater than 3 μg / ml and the LDH was higher than 1200 units / l.
“We hope these biomarkers help physicians determine how aggressively they need to treat patients, when a patient should be discharged, and how they monitor patients going home, among other clinical decisions,” Ayanian, the first author of the study and assistant professor of medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said in a news release.
Currently, physicians determine the risk of coronavirus recurrence and the severity of disease progression based on age and pre-existing medical conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and a compromised immune system, according to the study’s authors. the release. A simple blood test performed in the emergency department can help guide the coronavirus patient’s treatment and plan of care, the authors said.
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“In light of the current challenges facing the pandemic, particularly for institutions dealing with an overwhelming number of patients in hospital, this study could be useful for clinicians to identify sick patients. and use tools, “the study’s authors told Fox News.
The research team will continue to analyze this data to help physicians make more informed decisions for patients, as well as help hospitals that may need to decide on resources, according to the release.
