Corona virus: researchers with new knowledge - does a simple test warn of a difficult course?

German researchers have found a new way to test for coronavirus infection. Is the answer in the urine?

• New research findings: Apparently, urine provides signs of a coronavirus disease .
• Results from the University of Göttingen could further reduce the spread of the virus * .
• Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * as well as the corona news from Germany. You can also find the current number of cases in Germany as a map. The global developments on Corona are also available on our new Facebook page Corona News.
  

Göttingen - Am I infected with the corona virus? This question may have been asked by many people who had symptoms of Covid-19 *. In addition to the previously known signs *, there could now be another indicator.

A urine test could indicate whether the course of the disease is threatening and what treatment is necessary - even days before the symptoms worsen . Because even before a severe  Covid 19 course , clear abnormalities should show up in the urine . These irregularities could provide information about a disease - earlier than expected.

Corona Virus: Am I Infected? Urine test could provide information

"We identified abnormalities in urine samples from patients with Covid-19 , who then became very sick within a few days," quotes the science magazine Scinnex  Oliver Gross , a doctor at the University of Göttingen . Specifically, Gross and his colleagues found increased levels of white blood cells and the protein albumin in the urine in these patients .

The results are indicators that the kidneys are already attacked and inflamed by the coronavirus and that blood vessels are abnormally changed.

If you now find these changes in the urine of a patient, a simple follow-up examination with, for example, antibody tests * can determine whether a severe course has already started. Because the urine test requires little effort according to Gross, it could also be used on infected patients in nursing homes or in quarantine.

Coronavirus: Urine probably warns of a severe course of the corona

If an infection could be recognized earlier in the future, this would have massive advantages. Sick people could receive medical care earlier and the spread of the virus would be minimized. Often, infected people only go into quarantine * after the symptoms have worsened, sometimes passing the virus on to third parties ignorantly. 

The problem with Covid 19 disease is that the infection is hardly noticeable at first, the symptoms usually take a mild course at the beginning. Then the clinical picture changes rapidly. The symptoms become stronger and the consequences  are devastating - especially for risk groups *. 

* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network