That is one of the questions behind the “Predi-Covid” study, which was started by the COVID-19 task force of Research Luxembourg.
The project is expected to help us better understand the pandemic as well as to improve the way we deal with an outbreak of the virus.
The older a person is, the more at risk they are of falling seriously ill when contracting the virus. While this is well known, there is currently little information about the clinical or biological criteria which lead to these different disease patterns.
The “Predi-Covid” study will try to find out which patient profiles can be connected to a severe course of the disease.
Researchers identify different factors and special biological markers of SARS-Cov-2 and the patient.
These can then help to predict the individual course of the disease.
For instance, researchers try to find out if the patient has infections caused by other microbes – so-called “co-infections” – which can be linked to a severe course of Covid-19.
The results of the study could lead to patients receiving treatment specifically adjusted to their individual situation as soon as possible. They could also help to identify people who can be expected to experience a severe course.
The ability to predict the course of the disease is also an important factor for the lock-down exit strategy.
Potential participants in the study are people who have recently been tested positive for coronavirus, and who are registered on suivicovid.lu – a digital system for Covid-19 patients.
Only those people who agree to share their personal information with the researchers will be selected, of course.
Additionally, a number of samples will be taken from participants, such as blood tests, swabs from the nose and throat as well as saliva and stool samples.
The medical condition of participants will be monitored over a two-week period using different digital methods depending on whether participants are in hospital or at home.
After these 14 days, there will be follow-up checks over a one-year period to observe the long-term effects of coronavirus. Researchers will for instance record voice samples in order to look for a number of acoustic biomarkers.
These can help to discover problems with the respiratory tract, fatigue, or negative emotions linked with Covid-19.
The “Predi-Covid” study will see experts from a variety of different fields working together - among others, from the fields of virology, immunology, the digital health industry, computer science, statistics, and artificial intelligence.
Predi-COVID infographic.pdf 143,91 kB
