Large-Scale Epidemiological Studies of Clinical Features Reveal COVID-19 Risk Factors

Study in a Sentence: Researchers at Changhai Hospital in China performed a meta-analysis of 30 epidemiological studies consisting of 53,000 COVID-19 patients to analyze clinical features and identify predictors of disease severity and mortality. 

Healthy for Humans: Risk factors for disease severity included old age (greater than 50 years), male sex, smoking, and any preexisting condition but particularly chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Risk factors for mortality included old age (greater than 60 years), cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Redefining Research: Understanding the risk factors for COVID-19 severity is extremely important in responding to this global pandemic, especially since there is no vaccine or specific treatment available as of now. Predictive indicators of severity can help in health care settings and in policy decision-making.