The "Covid-19" epidemic forced doctors to make difficult decisions. In New York City, for example, where there are tens of thousands of injuries, doctors have to provide tests for use on patients with severe symptoms, while patients with minor symptoms, doctors advise them to isolate themselves and stay In their homes. Doctors are still not aware of the symptoms, which may represent a warning bell, until the patient's injury will worsen.
Researchers at New York University conducted a new study, using predictive analysis of the data of 53 people infected with the "Covid-19" virus in China, to determine the early signs of severe pulmonary disease caused by the virus, and found that the presence of three specific signs together is a strong indication of the occurrence of the risk, such as syndrome Acute respiratory distress, a condition that threatens the life of the patient, and subsequently suggests his need for a ventilator.
The first sign is a slight rise in the level of the aminotransferase enzyme, which indicates hepatitis or its damage, the second sign is a feeling of muscle pain, and the third sign is the high level of hemoglobin in the blood.
"They hope to help doctors anticipate cases that will have serious complications," Megan Covey, the lead author of the study, told Business Insider.
Fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing are the main symptoms of the infection, and muscle pain comes second, according to the World Health Organization, which reported last February that about 15% of those affected had these pains.
Covey stated that «the warning signs - which the study discovered - do not usually attract the attention of doctors, they do not care to ask patients about the presence of muscle pain in the beginning, because they see that the question about the difficulty in breathing is more important, as the injured person who has this problem needs help Immediate ».
But paying attention to the question about the presence of these three signs will help clinicians discover and assist threatened patients before their condition worsens. "Hospitals are currently facing a flood of patients, so people who do not have difficulty breathing and who do not need oxygen supply will have no place, and doctors will not have time to assess their condition," Covey added. This means that following the study results and asking about the three warning results will help doctors in discovering cases that may suffer dangerous complications in the future, even if their condition is currently stable and provide them with assistance at the earliest time.
The study stated that «most of the patients - whose data were used in the study - were admitted to the hospital three days after the symptoms that included: fever and dry cough appeared, and added that« most of them experienced minor symptoms at first, and the condition of some of them began to deteriorate from five to eight days They had pneumonia and severe respiratory distress syndrome.
Fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing are the main symptoms of infection.