Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with complications: implications for management

Background A novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused outbreaks worldwide, and the number of cases is rapidly increasing through human-to-human transmission. Because of the greater transmission capacity and possible subsequent multi-organ damage caused by the virus, it is crucial to understand precisely and manage COVID-19 patients. However, the underlying differences in the clinical features of COVID-19 with and without comorbidities are not fully understood. Aim The objective of this study was to identify the clinical features of COVID-19 patients with and without complications to guide treatment and predict the prognosis. Method We collected the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with and without different complications, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Next, we performed a baseline comparison of each index and traced the dynamic changes in these factors during hospitalization to explore the potential associations. Result A clinical index of differential expression was used for the regression to select top-ranking factors. The top-ranking clinical characteristics varied in each subgroup, such as indices of liver function, renal function and inflammatory markers. Among them, the indices of renal function were highly ranked in all subgroups and displayed significant differences during hospitalization. Conclusion Organ functions of COVID-19 patients, particularly renal function, should be cautiously taken care of during management and might be a crucial factor for a poor prognosis of these patients with complications.