A NEW study that examined 191 patients with Covid-19 has revealed who is most at risk of dying from the disease.

The study, published in The Lancet – a medical journal – analysed patients with the disease in two hospitals in Wuhan, the area where the virus is believed to have originated.

Being of an older age, showing signs of sepsis and having blood clotting issues are the key risk factors associated with a high risk of death from the coronavirus, the study said.

Dr Zhibo Liu, from Jinyintan Hospital and co-author of the study, said: "Older age, showing signs of sepsis on admission, underlying diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, and the prolonged use of non-invasive ventilation were important factors in the deaths of these patients.

"Poorer outcomes in older people may be due in part to the age-related weakening of the immune system and increased inflammation that could promote viral replication and more prolonged responses to inflammation, causing lasting damage to the heart, brain and other organs."

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Most cases of confirmed coronavirus appear to be mild, but symptoms can worsen to a severe pneumonia.

The authors did note that the interpretation may be limited due to the sample size.

Of the 191 patients admitted to Jinyintan Hospital and Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, 54 died and 137 were discharged.

The study also suggested that hospitalised patients shed the virus for longer than expected – the median duration of viral shedding was 20 days in survivors.

But they added that the true duration of viral shedding for all patients remained unclear.

The study also found that the fever duration – where patients feel the symptoms – was around 12 days in both survivors and non-survivors.

However, the cough may last longer.

And in survivors, dyspnoea – shortness of breath – ceases after around 13 days, but lasts until death in non-survivors.

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There are now 15 confirmed cases in Wales.

This is the latest government advice.

Symptoms

  • Coronavirus can cause respiratory symptoms including a cough, a fever, and breathing difficulties.
  • Evidence suggests most cases appear to be mild, but symptoms can worsen to a severe pneumonia.
  • The illness can be more severe in people with long-term health conditions, older people, and people with weakened immune systems.

Protecting yourself

  • Members of the public can help protect themselves and others by carrying tissues and using them to catch coughs or sneezes. They should bin the tissue, and to kill the germs, wash their hands with soap and water, or use a sanitiser gel. This is the best way to slow the spread of most germs, including coronavirus.

Travellers returning to Wales

  • If you've returned from these places in the past 14 days -- Iran, the Hubei province of China, or the Daegu, Cheongdo, or Gyeongsan special care zones of South Korea -- you should stay indoors and avoid contact with others even if you do not show symptoms of coronavirus.
  • If you have travelled from the following places in the past 14 days and are showing symptoms of coronavirus, you should also stay indoors and avoid contact with others: