COVID-19: Risk Factors Increasing Disease and Scoring

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is caused by a novel coronavirus named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It became a major global health threat in a short time after being declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Viral, environmental, and host factors play a role in the course of COVID-19. The disease is more common in the elderly, men, and people with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic renal disease, and malignancy. While some risk scores are used to predict ICU admission and mortality, they are not specific to COVID-19. Identifying high-risk individuals and preventing their infection can reduce mortality in the disease.