The use of immunosuppressants, mobility aids, and symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue may indicate an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19, scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging noted, after analyzing data from the COVID-19 tracker app used by 3 million people in the UK. The results were presented in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

While there are established risk factors for severe COVID-19, there are no reliable predictors that would allow healthcare providers or even those who test positive, to assess whether to seek more complex care, says Associate Professor David Furman, lead author of the study.

Furman points out that of the three million people who used the app, about 11,000 people tested positive for the virus, and about 500 ended up in the hospital.

The symptom tracker app collects data from different perspectives, asking people to describe how they are feeling, the symptoms they are experiencing, and the medications they use, as well as demographics and lifestyle factors such as diet.