Discovery of four Covid-19 risk groups helps guide treatment

[2greys]

People who are admitted to hospital with Covid-19 can be divided into four distinct groups, according to data from the world’s largest study of patients with the disease.

Researchers identified the groups using clinical information and tests carried out upon arrival at hospital to predict the patients’ risk of death – ranging from low to very high.

A Covid-19 risk identification tool – the most accurate to date – has been designed using the groupings to help clinical staff choose the best course of treatment for patients admitted to hospital.

The tool was built by the ISARIC Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium involving researchers from Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and Imperial College London using data from some 35,000 patients admitted to hospital between February and May 2020 who met the criteria for one of the four groups.

gla.ac.uk/news/headline_740...

[Tugun]

Sounds interesting but no detail. They gave a link to the research bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3339 This gives greater detail with the summary at the end but a bit difficult to understand for non-medical types like me. It still seems a bit hit and miss but at least if they use it to start early aggressive treatment for those in the high risk category that would be a benefit.

I remember reading an article about a doctor dealing with swine flu in New York. The prevailing wisdom of the day was that if you had the swine flu for over 24 hours, then it was too late to begin administering Tamiflu. It had to be within the 24 hour period to be of benefit. However he said that even after 24 hours he found that it lessened the severity. Oh for doctors who try things even against the prevailing wisdom.

[Ergendl]

We had loads of identification tools in dietetics. They are usually administered by non-expert staff to ensure medics and PAMS are not overloaded with assessments, so they can be great time savers. Can be a bit of a blunt instrument, though.