A study on the morbid histopathological changes in COVID-19 patients with or without comorbidities using minimally invasive tissue sampling.

COVID-19 causes morbid pathological changes in different organs including lungs, kidneys, liver, and so on, especially in those who succumb. Though clinical outcomes in those with comorbidities are known to be different from those without-not much is known about the differences at the histopathological level. To compare the morbid histopathological changes in COVID-19 patients between those who were immunocompromised (Gr 1), had a malignancy (Gr 2), or had cardiometabolic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, or coronary artery disease) (Gr 3), postmortem tissue sampling (minimally invasive tissue sampling [MITS]) was done from the lungs, kidney, heart, and liver using a biopsy gun within 2 hours of death. Routine (hematoxylin and eosin) and special staining (acid fast bacilli, silver methanamine, periodic acid schiff) was done besides immunohistochemistry. A total of 100 patients underwent MITS and data of 92 patients were included (immunocompromised: 27, malignancy: 18, cardiometabolic conditions: 71). In lung histopathology, capillary congestion was more in those with malignancy, while others like diffuse alveolar damage, microthrombi, pneumocyte hyperplasia, and so on, were equally distributed. In liver histopathology, architectural distortion was significantly different in immunocompromised; while steatosis, portal inflammation, Kupffer cell hypertrophy, and confluent necrosis were equally distributed. There was a trend towards higher acute tubular injury in those with cardiometabolic conditions as compared to the other groups. No significant histopathological difference in the heart was discerned. Certain histopathological features were markedly different in different groups (Gr 1, 2, and 3) of COVID-19 patients with fatal outcomes.

Risk Factors of Severity and Mortality Among COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Observational Study From a Tertiary Care Center.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major public health threat for the past three years. The RNA virus has been constantly evolving, changing the manifestations and progression of the disease. Some factors which impact the progression to severe COVID-19 or mortality include comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity. In this study, we followed a cohort of patients to evaluate the risk factors leading to severe manifestations and mortality from COVID-19. Methodology We conducted a prospective observational study of 589 COVID-19 patients to assess the risk factors associated with the severity and mortality of the disease. Results In our cohort, 83.5% were male, with a median age (p25, p75) of 39.71 (30-48) years. The most common comorbidities included diabetes mellitus (7.8%) and hypertension (7.9%). About 41.7% had an asymptomatic disease, and of the symptomatic, 45% were mild, 6% moderate, and 7% severe. The mortality rate was 4.1%. Risk factors for severity included breathlessness (p=0.02), leukocytosis (p=0.02), and deranged renal function (p=0.04). Risk factors for mortality included older age (p=0.04), anemia (p=0.02), and leukocytosis (p=0.02). Conclusions COVID-19 commonly leads to asymptomatic or mild illness. The major factors we found that were associated with severity include breathlessness at presentation, leukocytosis, and deranged renal functions. The factors associated with mortality include older age, anemia, and leukocytosis.

Novel Scoring Systems to Predict the Need for Oxygenation and ICU Care, and Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Risk Stratification Tool.

INTRODUCTION: A rapid surge in cases during the COVID-19 pandemic can overwhelm any healthcare system. It is imperative to triage patients who would require oxygen and ICU care, and predict mortality. Specific parameters at admission may help in identifying them. METHODOLOGY: A prospective observational study was undertaken in a COVID-19 ward of a tertiary care center. All baseline clinical and laboratory data were captured. Patients were followed till death or discharge. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to find predictors of the need for oxygen, need for ICU care, and mortality. Objective scoring systems were developed for the same using the predictors. RESULTS: The study included 209 patients. Disease severity was mild, moderate, and severe in 98 (46.9%), 74 (35.4%), and 37 (17.7%) patients, respectively. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) >4 was a common independent predictor of the need for oxygen (p<0.001), need for ICU transfer (p=0.04), and mortality (p=0.06). Clinical risk scores were developed (10*c-reactive protein (CRP) + 14.8*NLR + 12*urea), (10*aspartate transaminase (AST) + 15.7*NLR + 14.28*CRP), (10*NLR + 10.1*creatinine) which, if ≥14.8, ≥25.7, ≥10.1 predicted need for oxygenation, need for ICU transfer and mortality with a sensitivity and specificity (81.6%, 70%), (73.3%, 75.7%), (61.1%, 75%), respectively.  Conclusion: The NLR, CRP, urea, creatinine, and AST are independent predictors in identifying patients with poor outcomes. An objective scoring system can be used at the bedside for appropriate triaging of patients and utilization of resources.

Clinical profile of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19- and BBV152-vaccinated individuals among hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a pair-matched study.

Background: COVID-19 infections among severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-vaccinated individuals are of clinical concern, especially in those requiring hospitalization. Such real-world data on ChAdOx1 nCoV-19- and BBV152-vaccinated individuals are scarce. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand their clinical profile and outcomes. Methods: A 1:1 pair-matched study was performed among vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients admitted between March 2021 and June 2021 at a tertiary care centre in New Delhi, India. The vaccinated group (received at least one dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or BBV152) was prospectively followed till discharge or death and matched [for age (±10 years), sex, baseline disease severity and comorbidities] with a retrospective group of unvaccinated patients admitted during the study period. Paired analysis was done to look for clinical outcomes between the two groups. Results: The study included a total of 210 patients, with 105 in each of the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. In the vaccinated group, 47 (44.8%) and 58 (55.2%) patients had received ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BBV152, respectively. However, 73 patients had received one dose and 32 had received two doses of the vaccine. Disease severity was mild in 36.2%, moderate in 31.4% and severe in 32.4%. Two mortalities were reported out of 19 fully vaccinated individuals. All-cause mortality in the vaccinated group was 8.6% (9/105), which was significantly lower than the matched unvaccinated group mortality of 21.9% (23/105), p = 0.007. Vaccination increased the chances of survival (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.42-10.18) compared to the unvaccinated group. Conclusion: In the second wave of the pandemic predominated by delta variant of SARS CoV-2, vaccination reduced all-cause mortality among hospitalized patients, although the results are only preliminary.

Repurposing of FDA Approved Drugs Against SARS-CoV-2 Papain-Like Protease: Computational, Biochemical, and in vitro Studies.

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) has impacted the world in many ways and the virus continues to evolve and produce novel variants with the ability to cause frequent global outbreaks. Although the advent of the vaccines abated the global burden, they were not effective against all the variants of SCoV-2. This trend warrants shifting the focus on the development of small molecules targeting the crucial proteins of the viral replication machinery as effective therapeutic solutions. The PLpro is a crucial enzyme having multiple roles during the viral life cycle and is a well-established drug target. In this study, we identified 12 potential inhibitors of PLpro through virtual screening of the FDA-approved drug library. Docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies suggested that these molecules bind to the PLpro through multiple interactions. Further, IC50 values obtained from enzyme-inhibition assays affirm the stronger affinities of the identified molecules for the PLpro. Also, we demonstrated high structural conservation in the catalytic site of PLpro between SCoV-2 and Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) through molecular modelling studies. Based on these similarities in PLpro structures and the resemblance in various signalling pathways for the two viruses, we propose that HCoV-229E is a suitable surrogate for SCoV-2 in drug-discovery studies. Validating our hypothesis, Mefloquine, which was effective against HCoV-229E, was found to be effective against SCoV-2 as well in cell-based assays. Overall, the present study demonstrated Mefloquine as a potential inhibitor of SCoV-2 PLpro and its antiviral activity against SCoV-2. Corroborating our findings, based on the in vitro virus inhibition assays, a recent study reported a prophylactic role for Mefloquine against SCoV-2. Accordingly, Mefloquine may further be investigated for its potential as a drug candidate for the treatment of COVID.

Outcomes of HFNC Use in COVID-19 Patients in Non-ICU Settings: A Single-center Experience.

How to cite this article: Aggarwal A, Arora U, Mittal A, Aggarwal A, Singh K, Ray A, et al.Outcomes of HFNC Use in COVID-19 Patients inNon-ICU Settings: A Single-center Experience. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(4):528-530.

Effectiveness of an inactivated virus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, BBV152, in India: a test-negative, case-control study.

BACKGROUND: BBV152 is a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that has been deployed in India. The results of the phase 3 trial have shown clinical efficacy of BBV152. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: We conducted a test-negative, case-control study among employees of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India), who had symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and had an RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 during the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India between April 15 and May 15, 2021. Cases (test-positives) and controls (test-negatives) were matched (1:1) on the basis of age and gender. The odds of vaccination with BBV152 were compared between cases and controls and adjusted for level of occupational exposure (to COVID-19), previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and calendar time, using conditional logistic regression. The primary outcome was effectiveness of two doses of BBV152 (with the second dose received at least 14 days before testing) in reducing the odds of symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, expressed as (1 - odds ratio) × 100%. FINDINGS: Between April 15 and May 15, 2021, 3732 individuals had an RT-PCR test. Of these, 2714 symptomatic employees had data on vaccination status, and 1068 matched case-control pairs were available for analysis. The adjusted effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses administered at least 14 days before testing was 50% (95% CI 33-62; p<0·0001). The adjusted effectiveness of two doses administered at least 28 days before testing was 46% (95% CI 22-62) and administered at least 42 days before testing was 57% (21-76). After excluding participants with previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, the adjusted effectiveness of two doses administered at least 14 days before testing was 47% (95% CI 29-61). INTERPRETATION: This study shows the effectiveness of two doses of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 in the context of a huge surge in cases, presumably dominated by the potentially immune-evasive delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings support the ongoing roll-out of this vaccine to help control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, while continuing the emphasis on adherence to non-pharmacological measures. FUNDING: None. TRANSLATION: For the Hindi translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Hydroxychloroquine pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 among healthcare workers: Initial experience from India.

Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had generated considerable interest for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prophylaxis. We conducted a prospective observational study at a tertiary care hospital in India, with dedicated COVID-19 care facilities. Objectives: Primary objective was incidence of adverse effects, secondary objective being efficacy in preventing COVID-19. Methods: Healthcare workers were recruited and grouped based on voluntary HCQ prophylaxis as per national guidelines. Side effects in HCQ group were graded in accordance with national cancer institute-common terminology criteria for adverse events (NCI-CTCAE) version 5.0. At 3-7-week follow-up, groups were compared for COVID-19 exposure, symptoms development and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RT-PCR results. Results: Among 358 participants recruited, 216 (60.3%) were males and mean age was 31.2 ± 6.6 years. Chemoprophylaxis was initiated by 258 (72%) participants. After loading dose, 7 (2.7%) reported grade 2 and 1 (0.4%) grade 3 adverse effects. Discontinuation of HCQ due to side effects was reported in 11 (4.3%) participants. Electrocardiogram was done by 50 (19.4%) participants on HCQ; no abnormalities were noted. A total of 106 (41%) among those taking and 63 (63%) among those not taking HCQ were tested for SARS-CoV-2 due to influenza-like illness or significant exposure. Among all participants, 25 (6.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.3-9.6) developed COVID-19 during the study period. In the group taking HCQ, 10 (3.9%) tested positive compared to 15 (15%) in the group not taking HCQ (P < 0.001). Odds ratio with HCQ intake was 0.34 (95% CI 0.13-0.83, P = 0.01) and the number needed to treat was 12. Conclusion: HCQ is safe at the recommended dose for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19.

Risk factors for Coronavirus disease-associated mucormycosis.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of the Coronavirus-disease associated mucormycosis (CAM) syndemic is poorly elucidated. We aimed to identify risk factors that may explain the burden of cases and help develop preventive strategies. METHODS: We performed a case-control study comparing cases diagnosed with CAM and taking controls as recovered COVID 19 patients who did not develop mucormycosis. Information on comorbidities, glycemic control, and practices related to COVID-19 prevention and treatment was recorded. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors. RESULTS: A total of 352 patients (152 cases and 200 controls) diagnosed with COVID-19 during April-May 2021 were included. In the CAM group, symptoms of mucormycosis began a mean of 18.9 (SD 9.1) days after onset of COVID-19, and predominantly rhino-sinus and orbital involvement was present. All, but one, CAM cases had conventional risk factors of diabetes and steroid use. On multivariable regression, increased odds of CAM were associated with the presence of diabetes (adjusted OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.1-11), use of systemic steroids (aOR 7.7, 95% CI 2.4-24.7), prolonged use of cloth and surgical masks (vs. no mask, aOR 6.9, 95%CI 1.5-33.1), and repeated nasopharyngeal swab testing during the COVID-19 illness (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.2). Zinc therapy was found to be protective (aOR 0.05, 95%CI 0.01-0.19). Notably, the requirement of oxygen supplementation or hospitalization did not affect the risk of CAM. CONCLUSION: Judicious use of steroids and stringent glycemic control are vital to preventing mucormycosis. Use of clean masks, preference for N95 masks if available, and minimizing swab testing after the diagnosis of COVID-19 may further reduce the incidence of CAM.

COVID-19-associated subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Though invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a well known complication of COVID-19 pneumonia, indolent forms of aspergillosis have been rarely described. METHODS: We prospectively collected the clinico-radio-microbiological data of 10 patients of subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (SAIA), who presented to our hospital with recent history of COVID-19 pneumonia along with cavitary lung disease, positive IgG (against Aspergillus) with or without positive respiratory samples for Aspergillus spp. RESULT: The mean age of presentation of SAIA was 50.7 ± 11.8 years. All the patients had recently recovered from severe COVID-19 illness with a mean duration of 29.2 ± 12 days from COVID-19 positivity. Cough was the predominant symptom seen in 8/10 (80%) patients followed by haemoptysis. 7/10 (70%) patients were known diabetic. While serum galactomannan was positive in 5/9 patients (55.5%), fungal culture was positive in 2/7 patients (28.5%) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Aspergillus was positive in three patients. Eight (80%) patients presented with a single cavitary lesion; pseudoaneurysm of pulmonary artery was seen in two patients and post-COVID-19 changes were seen in all patients. All patients were treated with voriconazole, out of which four (40%) patients died during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: SAIA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cavitating lung lesions in patients with recent history of COVID-19 in the background of steroid use with or without pre-existing diabetes.

Post COVID-19 sequelae: A prospective observational study from Northern India.

Post COVID-19 sequelae are a constellation of symptoms often reported after recovering from COVID-19. There is a need to better understand the clinical spectrum and long-term course of this clinical entity. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features and risk factors of post COVID-19 sequelae in the North Indian population. This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary healthcare centre in Northern India between October 2020 and February 2021. Patients aged >18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were recruited after at least two weeks of diagnosis, and details were captured. A total of 1234 patients were recruited and followed up for a median duration of 91 days (IQR: 45-181 days). Among them, 495 (40.1%) had persistent symptoms post-discharge or recovery. In 223 (18.1%) patients, the symptoms resolved within four weeks; 150 (12.1%) patients had symptoms till 12 weeks, and 122 (9.9%) patients had symptoms beyond 12 weeks of diagnosis/symptom-onset of COVID-19. Most common symptoms included myalgia (10.9%), fatigue (5.5%), shortness of breath (6.1%), cough (2.1%), insomnia (1.4%), mood disturbances (0.48%) and anxiety (0.6%). Patients who were hospitalized were more likely to report fatigue as a feature of long COVID. Hypothyroidism (OR: 4.13, 95% CI: 2.2-7.6, p-value < 0.001) and hypoxia (SpO2 ≤ 93%) (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4, p-value 0.012) were identified as risk factors for long COVID sequelae. In conclusion, long COVID symptoms were common (22%), and 9.9% had the post COVID-19 syndrome. Myalgias, fatigue and dyspnoea were common symptoms. Patients with hypothyroidism and hypoxia during acute illness were at higher risk of long COVID.

Role of systemic corticosteroids in preventing hypoxia among patients with mild COVID-19: An observational study.

Use of systemic corticosteroids is well-established in COVID-19 patients with hypoxia; however, there is scant data on its role in patients with mild disease and prolonged symptoms as a measure to prevent disease progression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of systemic corticosteroids in preventing hypoxia (SpO2 ≤ 93% on room-air) among mild COVID-19 patients. An observational study was conducted among symptomatic COVID-19 patients taking oral corticosteroids and attending institute teleconsultation facility between 10th-30th June 2021. Patients who were already on corticosteroids for other indication or required oxygen supplementation before or within 24-hours of initiation of corticosteroids were excluded. A total of 140 consecutive symptomatic COVID-19 patients were included. Higher baseline C-reactive protein (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06, p < 0.001) and early systemic corticosteroid (within 7 days) initiation (OR: 6.5, 95% CI: 2.1-20.1, p = 0.001) were independent risk factors for developing hypoxia (SpO2 ≤ 93%). Progression to hypoxia was significantly higher in patients who received corticosteroids before day 7 of illness (36.7%, 95% CI, 23.4-51.7%) compared to ≥ 7 of illness (14.3%, 95% CI, 7.8-23.2%) for persistent fever. Systemic corticosteroids within 7 days from symptom-onset were harmful and increased the risk of progression to hypoxia, whereas it may decrease the risk of progression when administered on or beyond 7 days in patients with mild COVID-19 and persistent symptoms. A well-designed randomised controlled trial is required to validate the findings.

One health approach and COVID-19: A perspective.

One Health is a well-recognized concept; however, it has been at the fringe of most operational health policies rather than being the central theme. Although, global experts and policy makers have agreed on this theory, the transition from a vision to practical application is inconspicuous. COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive damage to the world economy and continues to peril human lives everywhere. Ignorance of the principles of One Health approach in the current health care system has proved to be the Achilles heel of our health policy. Social distancing, lockdown, and hand hygiene are short-term preventive measures imposed by nations worldwide but are difficult to sustain in the long run. Thus, it is long overdue that we change our unidimensional approach regarding the control and prevention of diseases. A rational practice of the One Health strategy should be our utmost priority to control the ongoing grave situation. The purpose of this article is to bring the attention of healthcare professionals and researchers toward the One Health paradigm for the betterment of public health while combating COVID-19 and to prepare for future emergence of infectious diseases. Our assessment for this review is based on the philosophy and views shared by recent publications on the One Health approach which emphasizes an integrated, multisectoral, and holistic concept (animal health-human health-environmental factors) and promotes a transdisciplinary-integrated tactic for disease prevention and control.

Artificial Intelligence-assisted chest X-ray assessment scheme for COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To study whether a trained convolutional neural network (CNN) can be of assistance to radiologists in differentiating Coronavirus disease (COVID)-positive from COVID-negative patients using chest X-ray (CXR) through an ambispective clinical study. To identify subgroups of patients where artificial intelligence (AI) can be of particular value and analyse what imaging features may have contributed to the performance of AI by means of visualisation techniques. METHODS: CXR of 487 patients were classified into [4] categories-normal, classical COVID, indeterminate, and non-COVID by consensus opinion of 2 radiologists. CXR which were classified as "normal" and "indeterminate" were then subjected to analysis by AI, and final categorisation provided as guided by prediction of the network. Precision and recall of the radiologist alone and radiologist assisted by AI were calculated in comparison to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as the gold standard. Attention maps of the CNN were analysed to understand regions in the CXR important to the AI algorithm in making a prediction. RESULTS: The precision of radiologists improved from 65.9 to 81.9% and recall improved from 17.5 to 71.75 when assistance with AI was provided. AI showed 92% accuracy in classifying "normal" CXR into COVID or non-COVID. Analysis of attention maps revealed attention on the cardiac shadow in these "normal" radiographs. CONCLUSION: This study shows how deployment of an AI algorithm can complement a human expert in the determination of COVID status. Analysis of the detected features suggests possible subtle cardiac changes, laying ground for further investigative studies into possible cardiac changes. KEY POINTS: • Through an ambispective clinical study, we show how assistance with an AI algorithm can improve recall (sensitivity) and precision (positive predictive value) of radiologists in assessing CXR for possible COVID in comparison to RT-PCR. • We show that AI achieves the best results in images classified as "normal" by radiologists. We conjecture that possible subtle cardiac in the CXR, imperceptible to the human eye, may have contributed to this prediction. • The reported results may pave the way for a human computer collaboration whereby the expert with some help from the AI algorithm achieves higher accuracy in predicting COVID status on CXR than previously thought possible when considering either alone.

Intricate interplay between Covid-19 and cardiovascular diseases.

Covid-19 disease can involve any organ system leading to myriad manifestations and complications. Cardiovascular manifestations are being increasingly recognised with the improved understanding of the disease. Acute coronary syndrome, myocarditis, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy; heart failure and thromboembolic disease have all been described. The elderly and those with prior cardiac diseases are at an increased risk of mortality. Overlapping symptomatology, ability of drugs to cause QTc interval (start of Q wave to the end of T wave) prolongation on electrocardiogram and arrhythmias, potential drug interactions, the need to recognise patients requiring urgent definitive management and provide necessary bedside interventions without increasing the risk of nosocomial spread have made the management challenging. In the background of a pandemic, non-Covid-19 cardiac patients are affected by delayed treatment and nosocomial exposure. Triaging using telemedicine and artificial intelligence along with utilization of bedside rapid diagnostic tests to detect Covid-19 could prove helpful in this aspect.

Poor outcomes in patients with cirrhosis and Corona Virus Disease-19.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is a paucity of data on the clinical presentations and outcomes of Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) in patients with underlying liver disease. We aimed to summarize the presentations and outcomes of COVID-19-positive patients and compare with historical controls. METHODS: Patients with known chronic liver disease who presented with superimposed COVID-19 (n = 28) between 22 April 2020 and 22 June 2020 were studied. Seventy-eight cirrhotic patients without COVID-19 were included as historical controls for comparison. RESULTS: A total of 28 COVID-19 patients (two without cirrhosis, one with compensated cirrhosis, sixteen with acute decompensation [AD], and nine with acute-on-chronic liver failure [ACLF]) were included. The etiology of cirrhosis was alcohol (n = 9), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 2), viral (n = 5), autoimmune hepatitis (n = 4), and cryptogenic cirrhosis (n = 6). The clinical presentations included complications of cirrhosis in 12 (46.2%), respiratory symptoms in 3 (11.5%), and combined complications of cirrhosis and respiratory symptoms in 11 (42.3%) patients. The median hospital stay was 8 (7-12) days. The mortality rate in COVID-19 patients was 42.3% (11/26), as compared with 23.1% (18/78) in the historical controls (p = 0.077). All COVID-19 patients with ACLF (9/9) died compared with 53.3% (16/30) in ACLF of historical controls (p = 0.015). Mortality rate was higher in COVID-19 patients with compensated cirrhosis and AD as compared with historical controls 2/17 (11.8%) vs. 2/48 (4.2%), though not statistically significant (p = 0.278). Requirement of mechanical ventilation independently predicted mortality (hazard ratio 13.68). Both non-cirrhotic patients presented with respiratory symptoms and recovered uneventfully. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 is associated with poor outcomes in patients with cirrhosis, with worst survival rates in ACLF. Mechanical ventilation is associated with a poor outcome.