A recent study concerning Covid 19 on the basis of data from a symptom tracker app, determines six unique “Types” of the disease involving varied clusters of symptoms, says a CBS News report.
The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, says the six different “types” of COVID-19 can vary by severity and come with their own set of symptoms.
How did they decide on these types?
TYPICALLY, DOCTORS WILL LOOK FOR KEY SYMPTOMS SUCH AS COUGH, FEVER AND LOSS OF THE SENSE OF SMELL TO DETECT THE DISEASE
“I think it’s very, very interesting,” Dr. Bob Lahita, who is not affiliated with the study, told CBSN anchors Vladimir Duthiers and Anne-Marie Green. “Among the patients I see, those who recovered, many of them present different ways: some people with fever and some without fever, and some with nausea and vomiting, some people with diarrhea, etc.”
The Six Types of the Disease
The six clusters of symptoms outlined in the study are:
- Flu-like with no fever: Headache, loss of smell, muscle pains, cough, sore throat, chest pain, no fever.
- Flu-like with fever: Headache, loss of smell, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, fever, loss of appetite.
- Gastrointestinal: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sore throat, chest pain, no cough.
- Severe level one, fatigue: Headache, loss of smell, cough, fever, hoarseness, chest pain, fatigue.
- Severe level two, confusion: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain.
- Severe level three, abdominal and respiratory: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, abdominal pain.
How Treatment Should Vary According to the Types
Level 1
The first level, “flu-like with no fever,” is associated with headaches, loss of smell, muscle pains, cough, sore throat and chest pain.
PATIENTS AT THIS LEVEL HAVE A 1.5% CHANCE OF NEEDING BREATHING SUPPORT SUCH AS OXYGEN OR A VENTILATOR.
Level 3
Patients with the third type, simply described as “gastrointestinal,” do not have a cough as part of their illness. Instead, they experience headache, diarrhea, loss of smell, loss of appetite, sore throat and chest pain, and about 3.3% needed breathing support.
Serious Clusters Level 4 Onwards
Lahita referred to the following three clusters of COVID-19 as the “really severe types.”
Level 4
PATIENTS AT THIS LEVEL NEEDED BREATHING SUPPORT AT A RATE OF 8.6%.
Level 5
“THAT MEANS YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU LIVE, WHETHER YOU ARE IN OR OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, WHO YOUR RELATIVES ARE,” LAHITA EXPLAINED.
“THAT IS VERY SCARY.” ALMOST 10% OF PATIENTS AT THAT LEVEL NEED BREATHING SUPPORT.
Most Severe Type
Level 6
The most severe type of COVID-19 is referred to as “severe level three, abdominal and respiratory,” and has all the above symptoms along with abdominal pain, shortness of breath and diarrhea.
NEARLY 20% OF THESE PATIENTS NEED BREATHING SUPPORT.
“THOSE ARE THE SEVERE LEVEL THREES WHO WIND UP ON A VENTILATOR, AND THEN IT IS TOUCH-AND-GO AS TO WHETHER THEY SURVIVE THE INFECTION ENTIRELY,” LAHITA SAID.
Hospitalization Needs Based on Type
THE U.K. RESEARCHERS ALSO FOUND THAT ONLY 16% OF PATIENTS WITH TYPE ONE COVID-19 REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION, COMPARED WITH NEARLY HALF OF THE PATIENTS WITH TYPE SIX.
PATIENTS IN THE SEVERE CLUSTERS ALSO TENDED TO BE OLDER OR WITH PRE-EXISITING CONDITIONS AND WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS, COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE FIRST THREE.
Scientists hope the discovery, once further studied, could help predict what types of care patients with COVID19 might need, and give doctors the ability to predict which patients would fall into which category.
“I’m very happy that these six types have been identified and can give us an idea of a prognosis going forward for patients who are afflicted with this virus,” Lahita said.
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Source: CBS News
