Covid survivors may be at increased risk of death in 12 months: Study

Ground Report | New Delhi: Covid survivors at risk of death; People who survive a severe case of COVID-19 face a significantly higher risk of death within a year of diagnosis than others, including those without COVID-19 and those with a mild or moderate case, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

Covid survivors at risk of death

Researchers at the University of Florida tracked the de-identified medical records of nearly 14,000 patients who were tested or diagnosed with COVID-19 at the University of Florida health system between January and June 2020. The results of the 12 months following a patient's first positive COVID-19 test or the first test in the system were analyzed if all were negative.

The researchers found that people who had a severe case of COVID-19 - those requiring hospitalization - were about 2.5 times more likely to die within a year than those without COVID-19 and almost twice as likely. more likely to die than those with a mild or moderate case requiring only outpatient care. In the case of those under 65, the risk of mortality from severe covid-19 was even higher.

ALSO READ: Is Kerala government trying to divide Christians and Muslims in the state?

Only about 20% of the "descending deaths" among COVID-19 patients were from respiratory or cardiovascular causes.

"Since these deaths were not from a direct cause of covid-19 among these patients who have recovered from the initial episode of covid-19, these data suggest that biological damage from covid-19 and physiological stress are significant," they wrote.

severe COVID-19 infection

The study found no significant difference in mortality risk between patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 and those without COVID-19, suggesting that preventing severe COVID-19 infections is the most effective way to avoid deaths.

READ:  We want to teach people how to live says Mohan Bhagwat

This finding furthers the value of vaccination, "a measure that can prevent and at the same time substantially decrease the risk of a severe COVID-19 infection, as rupture infections have been shown to be of mild-moderate severity," they wrote. researchers.

Mortality risks were adjusted for several factors, including age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Although the study had a relatively large sample size, it is limited to one healthcare system and may not be representative of broader results. Additionally, data collection began in January, before an official diagnostic code for covid-19 was issued.

ALSO READ: What is Default Bail that gave relief to Sudha Bhardwaj?

The researchers note that knowledge about the disease "has increased considerably since then" and the results may be less significant if they are repeated later in the pandemic.

For the study, an analysis of the electronic medical records of a total of 13,638 patients was carried out, including patients who tested positive for Covid, as well as a group of people who tested negative, who were followed for twelve months after presenting. the illness. Both positive and negative patients were validated by PCR. Positive patients were classified as severe if they were hospitalized within the first 30 days of the date of their initial positive test.

mortality risk was significantly higher

In addition, 12-month mortality risk was assessed by age, sex, race, and comorbidities, and separate subgroup analyzes were performed for (a) patients 65 years of age or older and (b) those younger than 65 years.

Of the 13,638 patients included, 178 had severe Covid, 246 had it mild or moderate, and 13,214 were negative in PCR. In the study, 2,686 died in the 12-month period. The 12-month adjusted all-cause mortality risk was significantly higher for severe Covid patients compared to negative patients and mild Covid patients.

READ:  Over 6 lakh Indians have given up Indian citizenship; But Why?

The vast majority of deaths (79.5%) were due to causes other than respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. Among patients younger than 65, the pattern was similar, but the mortality risk for severe Covid patients increased compared to Covid negative patients and mild Covid patients.

The same team had already published similar research, the results of which indicated that recovering severely ill Covid-19 patients had "a significantly higher risk of being hospitalized in the following six months," explained Arch Mainous of the University of Florida and lead author of the study.

Mainous stressed that it is now known that there is "a substantial risk of dying from what would probably be considered an unrecognized complication of Covid-19, we have to be even more vigilant to reduce serious episodes", for which he recommended the use of measures preventive such as vaccination.

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp. For suggestions and writeups mail us at [email protected]