A new study revealed that there are six distinct types of COVID-19. Depending on what type of COVID you have, you might have no symptoms or end up in the hospital requiring a ventilator.
Researchers said study findings will help doctors predict which patients are likely to end up in the hospital and need respiratory support. Four million people with COVID -19 participated in the research. The study started last March in the UK and included data from the US and Sweden as well. It’s the largest study of this kind
COVID-19 sufferers logged their symptoms on a daily basis using an app. Click the next 4 slides to find out their shocking discovery
Symptoms
The most common symptoms are cough, fever, and the loss of smell. But the data from this study showed a wide range of symptoms including:
- Headaches
- Muscle Pains
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- No appetite
- confusion
- shortness of breath
Researchers wanted to know if certain types of symptoms appeared together more often. Additionally, doctors wanted to know if certain symptoms indicated an increased likelihood of hospitalization or death.
What they found were symptoms ranging from a mild rash to a fatal disease and the shocking discovery of SIX kinds of COVID-19.
Six Kinds Of COVID
Researchers analyzed the data and found a specific grouping of symptoms emerged as the illness progressed. Here are the six clusters of symptoms they discovered:
- ‘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.
- very 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.
Deadliest Symptoms
The researchers investigated which cluster of symptoms most often required hospitalization and ventilator support.
According to researchers, “Only 1.5% of people with cluster 1, 4.4% of people with cluster 2 and 3.3% of people with cluster 3 COVID-19 required breathing support.”
Patients with clusters 4, 5, and 6 were exponentially more likely to require a vent. Nearly 20% of those with Cluster 6 symptoms ended up in the hospital. Only 16% of Cluster 1 patients required a hospital stay. Half of the patients with Cluster 6 symptoms were hospitalized.
Who Gets The Sickest and When?
Not surprisingly, the older and frailer you are, the sicker you get from COVID-19. Weight also seems to be a major factor, along with pre-existing conditions.
The researchers developed a model using information about age, BMI, health, and health combined with the reported symptoms from the first five days of the illness. The model accurately predicted which cluster a patient will fall into.
The researchers then developed a model combining information about age, sex, BMI, and pre-existing conditions together with symptoms gathered over just five days from the onset of the illness. For COVID-19, the need for breathing support comes most often two weeks after the first symptoms.
Dr. Claire Steves, one of the doctors working on the study, said the extra time the model buys is invaluable. “If you can predict who these people are at day five, you have time to give them support and early interventions such as monitoring blood oxygen and sugar levels, and ensuring they are properly hydrated – simple care that could be given at home, preventing hospitalizations and saving lives.”