A blood RNA transcriptome profile for COVID-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory viral infection with unique features including a more chronic course and systemic disease manifestations including multiple organ involvement, and there are differences in disease severity between ethnic groups. The immunological basis for the disease has not been fully characterised. Analysis of whole-blood RNA expression may provide valuable information on disease pathogenesis. The whole-blood transcriptome of COVID-19 has overall similarity with other respiratory infections but there are some unique pathways that merit further exploration to determine clinical relevance. The approach to a disease score may be of value, but needs further validation in a population with a greater range of disease severity.