AI-based multi-modal integration (ScanCov scores) of clinical characteristics, lab tests and chest CTs improves COVID-19 outcome prediction of hospitalized patients

Abstract : The SARS-COV-2 pandemic has put pressure on Intensive Care Units, and made theidentification of early predictors of disease severity a priority. We collected clinical,biological, chest CT scan data, and radiology reports from 1,003 coronavirus-infectedpatients from two French hospitals. Among 58 variables measured at admission, 11clinical and 3 radiological variables were associated with severity. Next, using 506,341chest CT images, we trained and evaluated deep learning models to segment thescans and reproduce radiologists' annotations. We also built CT image-based deeplearning models that predicted severity better than models based on the radiologists'reports. Finally, we showed that adding CT scan information—either throughradiologist lesion quantification or through deep learning—to clinical and biologicaldata, improves prediction of severity. These findings show that CT scans containnovel and unique prognostic information, which we included in a 6-variable ScanCovseverity score.