In a new study from the University of Minnesota, researchers found three clinical COVID-19 groups, reflecting patient populations with different comorbidities, complications and health outcomes.
COVID-19 has infected more than 18 million people and led to more than 700,000 deaths around the world.
Emergency department presentation varies widely, suggesting that distinct clinical phenotypes exist and, importantly, that these distinct phenotypic presentations may respond differently to a treatment.
In the study, researchers analyzed electronic health records from 14 hospitals in the midwestern United States and from 60 primary care clinics in the state of Minnesota.
Data were available for 7,538 patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 between March 7 and August 25, 2020; 1,022 of these patients required hospital admission and were included in the study.
Most patients included in the study (613 patients, or 60%) presented with what the researchers dubbed “group II.”
236 patients (23.1%) presented with “group I,” or the “Adverse phenotype,” which was linked to the worst clinical outcomes; these patients had the highest level of hematologic, kidney and heart problems.
173 patients (16.9%) presented with “group III,” or the “Favorable phenotype,” which was linked to the best health outcomes.
Surprisingly, despite having the lowest complication rate and mortality, patients in this group had the highest rate of respiratory problems as well as a 10% greater risk of hospital readmission.
The team says that group-specific medical care could improve COVID-19 outcomes, and suggest that future research is needed to determine the utility of these findings in clinical practice.
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The study is published in PLOS ONE. One author of the study is Elizabeth Lusczek.
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