What are the risk factors currently thought important for disease severity in COVID-19?

Question

I have heard of from reading numerous journal articles, and newspaper/TV reports:

age > 70
age < 5
obesity
smoker cigarettes or pot
male
blood group not group O
poor socio economic status
crowded and multi-generational living
black, hispanic
hypertension
cardio respiratory disease
diabetes 1+2
immunosuppression
cancer
religious beliefs

Note that some of these are inextricably linked to each other.

Any others?

I dont think there is any evidence of race being a risk factor, I would like to see your sources. — Ahmed Tounsi, Apr 12 '20 at 21:13
Religious beliefs? I don't think whatever source you got this list from is trustworthy. — user2357112, Apr 12 '20 at 21:18
If you require explanation then one process is to ask another question. — Graham Chiu, Apr 12 '20 at 22:03
@GrahamChiu Your question would be improved by providing references for race and religion. I know why you included those, but not everyone might. — Carey Gregory, Apr 12 '20 at 23:01
I think it would make a great, or, perhaps controversial question. — Graham Chiu, Apr 12 '20 at 23:46
@user2357112supportsMonica If your religious belief requires you to sit together with a few hundred people for a few hours a week, then of course it's a risk factor. — user253751, Apr 13 '20 at 00:01
@user253751 Indeed, this is the poster child for "religious beliefs" being a factor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shincheonji_Church_of_Jesus#Association_with_the_coronavirus_outbreak — Nayuki, Apr 13 '20 at 03:05
@GrahamChiu I've got no problem at all with great or controversial questions. — Carey Gregory, Apr 13 '20 at 04:09

Franck Dernoncourt · Answer 1 · 2020-04-13T11:26:01.033

3

From https://www.businessinsider.com/us-coronavirus-hospitalizations-underlying-health-conditions-cdc-2020-3 (mirror 1, mirror 2):

Transcription...

Counts are among the 7162 cases with completed information on pre-existing conditions:

Chronic liver disease

Current smoker

Former smoker

Chronic renal disease

Immunocompromised

Cardiovascular disease

Chronic lung disease

Diabetes mellitus

Other chronic disease

Source: CDC Data as of March 28, 2020 at 12 pm EST.

Also: What are the genetic predispositions, if any, for covid-19?

edited Apr 13 '20 at 11:26

answered Apr 12 '20 at 11:54

Franck Dernoncourt

10,309
7
40
78

Hasn't really added to what I know. Anything else? – Graham Chiu Apr 12 '20 at 12:16
@GrahamChiu e.g. chronic lung/liver disease. Also added some severity metrics. – Franck Dernoncourt Apr 12 '20 at 12:17

Henry Wei · Answer 2 · 2020-04-13T00:14:47.733

A pre-publication study at NYU in New York City looked at the risk factors for more severe COVID-19 disease.

These risks included older age, especially age over 75, as well as obesity (BMI>40), and congestive heart failure, which conferred dramatically higher odds of being hospitalized for COVID-19.

The strongest risk factor was low oxygen levels upon presentation in the E.R.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.20057794v1

According to the authors’ abstract:

Strongest hospitalization risks were age ≥75 years (OR 66.8, 95% CI, 44.7-102.6), age 65-74 (OR 10.9, 95% CI, 8.35-14.34), BMI>40 (OR 6.2, 95% CI, 4.2-9.3), and heart failure (OR 4.3 95% CI, 1.9-11.2). Strongest critical illness risks were admission oxygen saturation <88% (OR 6.99, 95% CI 4.5-11.0), d-dimer>2500 (OR 6.9, 95% CI, 3.2-15.2), ferritin >2500 (OR 6.9, 95% CI, 3.2-15.2), and C-reactive protein (CRP) >200 (OR 5.78, 95% CI, 2.6-13.8). In the decision tree for admission, the most important features were age >65 and obesity; for critical illness, the most important was SpO2<88, followed by procalcitonin >0.5, troponin <0.1 (protective), age >64 and CRP>200. Conclusions: Age and comorbidities are powerful predictors of hospitalization; however, admission oxygen impairment and markers of inflammation are most strongly associated with critical illness.

High CRP and ferritin are markers for IL-6 suggestive of ARDS — Graham Chiu, Apr 12 '20 at 20:38

What are the risk factors currently thought important for disease severity in COVID-19?

2 Answers2