IKN

This is what happens when you stop listening to idiots and start listening to scientists. Good old boring numbercrunching and data analytics (thanks to those “privacy stealing Apps”) will now save people’s lives. Here’s the blurb…

Symptoms of Covid-19 appear to fall into six different groupings,
researchers have revealed, in work they say could help to predict
whether a patient will end up needing a ventilator or other breathing
support.
The team say the findings could give healthcare providers several
days advanced warning of demand for hospital care and respiratory
support.
But it could also help flag patients at risk of becoming seriously
ill, meaning home support, such as an oxygen meter or nurse visits,
could be provided so that any deterioration is spotted quickly and
hospital attendance is prompt. At present, the team added, the average
time to get to hospital with Covid-19 is 13 days.
“Anything you can do earlier to stop people coming in half-dead is
going to increase the chance of survival and also stop clogging up
hospital beds unnecessarily,” said Prof Tim Spector of King’s College
London, a co-author of the work.

The six groupings, or “clusters”, are:

• Cluster 1: Mainly upper respiratory tract symptoms, such as a
  persistent cough, with muscle pain also present. About 1.5% of patients
  in this group required respiratory support, with 16% making one or more
  trips to hospital. This was the most common cluster of symptoms,
  affecting 462 participants.

• Cluster 2: Mainly upper respiratory tract symptoms, but also a
  greater frequency of skipped meals and fever. Of patients in this group
  4.4% required respiratory support, with 17.5% making one or more trips
  to hospital.

• Cluster 3: Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, but few
  other symptoms. While only 3.7% of patients in this group later needed
  respiratory support, almost 24% made at least one visit to hospital.

• Cluster 4: Early signs of severe fatigue, continuous chest pain
  and cough. Of patients in this group 8.6% required respiratory support,
  with 23.6% making one or more trips to hospital.

• Cluster 5: Confusion, skipped meals and severe fatigue. Of
  patients in this group 9.9% required respiratory support, with 24.6%
  making one or more trips to hospital.

• Cluster 6: Marked respiratory distress including early onset of
  breathlessness and chest pain, as well as confusion, fatigue and
  gastrointestinal symptoms. Almost 20% of this group needed respiratory
  support and 45.5% made one or more visits to hospital. But this was the
  least common symptom cluster, affecting 167 participants.

The team said the first two clusters seem to be “milder” forms of Covid-19.