Risk factors of severe cases with COVID-19: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a significant global health threat.
• Identifying risk factors for severe disease is crucial for patient management and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze risk factors associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• To identify potential early indicators for predicting disease progression in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

• A systematic electronic search was conducted across eight databases for studies on severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients.
• Meta-analysis of 40 studies involving 5872 COVID-19 patients was performed.
• Key clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between severe and non-severe cases, and between non-survivors and survivors.

Main Results:

• Severe COVID-19 patients were older and exhibited lower platelet and lymphocyte counts.
• Elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), D-dimer, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and creatinine (Cr) were observed in severe cases.
• Patients who died had higher WBC, D-dimer, ALT, AST, and Cr compared to survivors, with similar platelet counts and LDH levels.

Conclusions:

• Older age, lymphopenia, and decreased platelet counts are associated with COVID-19 severity.
• Elevated inflammatory markers (CRP, LDH, WBC, PCT) and organ-specific indicators (ALT, AST, Cr, D-dimer) are linked to severe COVID-19.
• These factors can serve as early warning signs for disease severity and progression.