Association of Androgenetic Alopecia and Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause variable symptoms ranging from mild common cold-like symptoms to severe life threatening pneumonia. Recent studies show severe outcomes of COVID-19 patients specially in males who suffer from androgenetic alopecia, would be significant and is of particular interest of this study and could help further support the hypothesis that anti-androgen therapy might represents an additional potential intervention against severe COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: An outbreak of Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-coV-2) occurred in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China in December 2019. Belonging to the family Beta-coronavirus, this virus can cause variable symptoms ranging from mild common cold-like symptoms to severe life threatening pneumonia. Numerous cases of new onset of skin lesions in COVID-19 patients are spreading across the globe. There are also some reports of aggravation of prior skin disorders. While severe COVID-19 symptoms and high mortality primarily manifested in older adults specially adult males, this sexual dimorphism in the severity of COVID-19 patients predisposed possibly due to increased androgen levels particularly in males suffering from androgenetic alopecia (AGA) would be significant and is of particular interest of this study and could help further support the hypothesis that anti-androgen therapy might represents an additional potential intervention against severe COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Association of Androgenetic alopecia and severity of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

PLACE OF STUDY: COVID-19 isolation unit of Jinnah postgraduate medical center (JPMC) Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This study will be conducted on patients admitted in COVID-19 isolation unit of JPMC Karachi. Permission from the institutional ethical review committee will be taken prior to conduction of study, demographic data and written informed consent will be taken from every patient. Sample size of study would be 300 hospitalized patients of COVID-19. Detailed history and examination of patients including be conducted in COVID-19 patients. Scoring of AGA be evaluated using Hamilton-Norwood scale (HNS) in men and Ludwig scale in female. Severity of the COVID-19 be measured by COVID severity score (A-DROP). Study is aimed to evaluate association of AGA and severity of COVID-19, frequency of AGA in covid 19 and whether the lung involvement correlates with the severity of AGA or whether the proportion of AGA is higher in intensive care/fatal COVID-19.

DATA ANALYSIS: Data will be analysed using SPSS version 23 registered for Microsoft windows. Mean and standard deviation will be calculated for expression of quantitative variables like age, weight, duration of disease symptoms. Frequencies and percentages will be calculated for the qualitative variables like gender, co-morbidities, frequency and severity of AGA, disease outcome and AGA associated with severity of COVID-19. Effect modifiers like age, gender, weight, co-morbidities, duration of symptoms will be controlled through stratification. Post-stratification will be recalculated and chi-square test will be applied. P-value of \<0.05% will be considered as significant.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Hospitalized patients of diagnosed covid-19 age \> 20years
* with or without androgenetic alopecia
* with or without comorbidities
* irrespective of disease duration -

Exclusion Criteria:

* none