Is positivity for hepatitis C virus antibody predictive of lower risk of death in COVID-19 patients with cirrhosis?
Alessandra Mangia, Giovanni Cenderello, Gabriella Verucchi, Alessia Ciancio, Andrea Fontana, Valeria Piazzolla, Nicola Minerva, Maria Maddalena Squillante, Massimiliano Copetti
Abstract
= 0.023, respectively]. In the two cohorts of HCV patients, COVID-19 diagnosis was made in 0.07% of those with liver disease and 1% of those with cirrhosis. Thus, the prevalence of HCV antibodies among COVID-19-infected patients was comparable to that currently reported for the general population in Italy. Amongst the COVID-19 patients, pre-existing metabolic cirrhosis appears to be associated with higher mortality, while HCV antibodies may be suggestive of "protection" against COVID-19.
Topics & Concepts
MedicineCirrhosisInternal medicineGastroenterologyHepatitis C virusOdds ratioHepatitis CEtiologyLiver diseaseWhite blood cellConfidence intervalVirusImmunologyCOVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchHepatitis C virus research