Study Reveals Covid-19’s Deadly Link to Sepsis, Raising Urgent Health Concerns
Doctors have issued a health warning about a side effect caused by Covid-19 – they examined data from the early stages of the pandemic and found a link between the virus and sepsis.
Health experts have warned people who have experienced coronavirus and said it is a more common and deadly cause of sepsis than people had thought.
Sepsis, a severe condition that can lead to organ failure and death, is commonly associated with bacterial infections. However, a new study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital has revealed that sepsis can be caused by viral infections like Covid-19.
Lead author Claire Shappell from Brigham and Women’s Hospital explained, Viral infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, can trigger the same dysregulated immune response that leads to organ dysfunction as in bacterial sepsis.
The study analyzed health record data from five Mass General Brigham hospitals between March 2020 and November 2022. The researchers examined 431,017 hospitalizations and found that 5.4 percent of them were caused by Covid-19 infections. Out of those affected, 28 percent developed Covid-associated sepsis.
Initially, individuals with Covid-linked sepsis had a high mortality rate of 33 percent over the first three months of the pandemic. However, the rate decreased over time and is now comparable to the mortality rate of bacterial sepsis, which is around 14.5 percent.
The findings of this study suggest that healthcare professionals should reconsider how they manage sepsis and develop a tailored approach for each patient’s syndrome and probable pathogen. This new framework could also be applied to identify other viral infections such as the flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Reiterating the urgency of the matter, doctors have urged people to seek immediate medical attention if they experience confusion, slurred speech, a non-fading rash, discolored or blotchy skin, or breathing difficulties.
This study sheds light on the often overlooked link between Covid-19 and sepsis. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing this deadly side effect to ensure better patient outcomes. As the pandemic continues, healthcare professionals must remain vigilant and adapt their treatment strategies accordingly.
