Six distinct ‘types’ of CoVID-19 symptoms identified

Analysis of data from the CoVID-19 Symptom Study, led by researchers from King’s College London, reveals that there are six distinct ‘types’ of CoVID-19, each distinguished by a particular cluster of symptoms.

According to researchers at King’s College London, these findings have important implications for the clinical management of CoVID-19 patients.

The type of symptoms that develop in the first week of COVID-19 infection can determine a patient’s need for more intensive medical care, the researchers said.

This study shows that the patients’ symptoms with CoVID-19 can fall into one of six groups: flu-like’ with no fever, ‘flu-like’ with fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, severe level one with fatigue, severe level two with confusion, and severe level three, abdominal and respiratory.

The six clusters are as follows:

• (‘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.

All patients with the disease reported headache followed by a decrease in sense of smell which it happens after the first few days of symptoms.

The researchers found that 1.5% of people with group 1 symptoms, 4.4% of people with group 2 symptoms and 3.3% of people with group 3 symptoms needed to use breathing support, while 8.8%, 9.9% and 19.8% for groups 4, 5 and 6, with a higher percentage, need to use that respiratory support systems. Also, almost half of the patients in group 6, compared to 16% of patients in the first group, also need to be hospitalized and under medical supervision. Need.

“This study demonstrates the importance of monitoring symptoms over time so that our predictions about disease progression and treatment outcomes can be made more accurately,” said lead researcher Dr. Carol Sudre .