The median age of these fatal outcome patients was 65.8, and 72.9 percent were men. Their most common symptoms were fever, shortness of breath (dyspnea) and fatigue.
Hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease were the most common comorbidities.
A little over 80 0 percent of patients had very low counts of eosinophils (cells that are reduced in severe respiratory infections) on admission. Complications included respiratory failure, shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and cardiac arrhythmia, among others. Most patients received antibiotics, antivirals and glucocorticoids (types of steroids). Some were given intravenous immunoglobulin or interferon alpha-2b.
The researchers noted: "The effectiveness of medications such as antivirals or immunosuppressive agents against COVID-19 is not completely known.
Perhaps our most significant observation is that while respiratory symptoms may not develop until a week after presentation, once they do there can be a rapid decline, as indicated by the short duration between time of admission and death (6.35 days on average) in our study."
Based on their findings, eosinophilopenia—abnormally low levels of eosinophils in the blood—may indicate a poor prognosis.
The scientists also noted that the early onset of shortness of breath may be used as an observational symptom for COVID-19 symptoms
