Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : September 17, 2022 12:34 PM IST
Some people have higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, than others. Are you one of them? A simple PCR-based blood test can determine if you're at risk of severe COVID-19.
AMPEL Biosolutions, a precision medicine company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Virginia has developed a new genomic test that can predict a patient's risk of developing severe COVID-19. The test, called CovGENE, was more than 90 per cent accurate at predicting patients at risk for bad outcomes, said researchers who conducted a study at University of Virginia Health System.
The test reports could help identify high-risk patients and allow doctors to quickly start tailored treatment for them, the experts suggested.
According to the researchers, CovGENE analyzes genes expressed in the blood to determine whether a patient may experience severe COVID-19 and increased risk of death.
The company is in the process to partner with a diagnostic testing company or pharmaceutical company to bring this gene-analysis approach to market as a simple PCR-based blood test.
Peter Lipsky, CEO, AMPEL, stated that they are looking forward to its rapid development as a precision-medicine tool, which can improve the outcome of COVID-19 patients and reduce the number of hospitalizations.
The results of the study on CovGENE have been published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
Several factors have been linked to seriously COVID-19 infection, including a patient's pre-existing health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease or lung disease. Research has also shown that men with low testosterone levels are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, requiring hospitalization.
People with dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease, are also at higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19 and dying as a result of the viral infection. The risk is threefold, as suggested by a study from USP's Chemistry Institute.
