Artificial intelligence can calculate someone's risk of dying from COVID-19 scanning blood vessels

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool claims to calculate a patient's risk of dying from COVID-19 and associated variants by scanning for heightened blood vessel inflammation. Scientists at the University of Oxford trained an algorithm to spot a COVID-19 signature in chest CT scans. The technology detects abnormalities in fat surrounding blood vessels in order to measure the level of inflammation caused by cytokines in infected patients. Those with heightened blood vessel inflammation were up to eight times more likely to die in the hospital due to the virus, but were also found to respond well to an anti-inflammatory drug that had a six-fold reduction in risk of dying. The team believes the innovation could personalize treatment and allow specialists to administer anti-inflammatory drugs faster to save the person's life.