Table 2.
Clinical course of subjects who died of COVID-19 (all confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 by PCR)
| Case 1. 86-year-old man with hypertension and hyperlipidemia, admitted with fever and upper respiratory symptoms. He developed pneumonia and was intubated 13 days after admission. He remained intubated until his demise 14 days later, while developing bradycardia and severe hypotension requiring use of multiple pressor agents, in conjunction with antibiotic treatment, dexamethasone, remdesivir, and convalescent plasma. He had myocardial injury but did not have a myocardial infarction. Chest CT angiogram and lower extremity venous ultrasound were unrevealing. After continued lack of improvement in his respiratory and cardiovascular status, he was extubated palliatively |
| Case 2. 88-year-old man with hypertension and dementia, admitted from a long-term care facility for fever. He had pneumonia requiring low level supplemental oxygen, with gradual improvement until discharge 15 days after admission, after receiving dexamethasone, remdesivir, and antibiotics. He remained stable, afebrile, and without oxygen requirements until 2 weeks after discharge, when he had sudden onset and rapidly worsening dyspnea leading to his demise 24 h later |
| Case 3. 89-year-old man with hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and prior stroke presented with cough and fever. He developed pneumonia and was treated with dexamethasone, remdesivir, and antibiotics with improvement in physical symptoms but persistent confusional state over 3 weeks. He remained stable, afebrile, and without oxygen requirements for 1 week prior to his sudden demise |
| Case 4. 68-year-old man with hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and chronic lung disease, with hip fracture after a fall and upper respiratory symptoms. He underwent hip fracture repair, was transferred to the medical floor, and was treated with dexamethasone, remdesivir, and antibiotics. He developed 3 episodes of fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea associated with hypoxia with increasing oxygen requirements until the patient was on high volume oxygen. Swallowing evaluation had been normal. The third episode was fatal despite resuscitation attempts. Chest CT angiogram, lower extremity venous ultrasound, and serial troponin levels were all unrevealing |
| Case 5. 73-year-old man with hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, and renal transplant, who presented with shortness of breath, weakness, and mild cough. He developed pneumonia, deteriorated rapidly, and was intubated shortly after admission. There was no improvement after treatment with dexamethasone, remdesivir, and antibiotics, and passed 14 days later |