Imagine that a previously unknown pathogen – new to our immune defenses – suddenly emerges and rapidly spreads across the globe, causing the death of millions and an economic breakdown due to the halt of most working activities in virtually every country.
However, the scientific community develops a powerful vaccine against this tiny enemy in record time. How would we decide who should be vaccinated first? Who is at the highest risk of developing the severe form of this deadly disease? Who should be protected with the highest priority?
Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have recently developed a simple and rapid blood test that can predict, within a day of hospital admission, which COVID-19 patients are at the greatest risk of severe complications or death. This test measures the levels of mitochondrial DNA, a unique type of DNA molecule that normally resides within the energy factories of cells. The presence of mitochondrial DNA in the blood is a sign of a specific type of violent cell death occurring in the body.
The ability to quickly identify high-risk patients could revolutionize pandemic management, allowing doctors to allocate limited resources, such as monoclonal antibodies, to those who need them most.
Additionally, this test could better design clinical trials by identifying patients who might benefit from specific experimental treatments.
The discovery of this test represents a major advancement in the fight against COVID-19, offering concrete hope for improving patient management and reducing mortality.
As the scientific community continues to work tirelessly to understand and combat this disease, tools like this mitochondrial DNA test could make a significant difference in saving lives.