According to a study published in PLOS ONE, a study commonly used for the diagnosis of heart injury can help COVID-19 patients avoid hospitalization. Cardiac troponins are proteins that are part of the contractile apparatus in the heart. They are released into circulation when the heart is injured. It is usually detected using a blood test, which is commonly used to diagnose heart attacks and other cardiac disorders.

Since 2020, research has revealed that COVID-19 individuals with high troponin levels are more likely to die or have unfavorable clinical outcomes than those with normal troponin levels. Despite this data, cardiac troponins are currently not employed in clinical practice to explicitly risk-evaluate COVID-19 patients. In the study, the researchers found that having an elevated troponin test did not necessarily mean that the patient suffered mortality, as it was inaccurate in predicting individual patient risk of death.

However, they noted that identifying patients who are at a higher or lower risk of death is crucial because it can help in deciding which patients require more medical attention and who can be safely released.

Additionally, the study showed that a COVID-19 patient with normal cardiac troponin levels had a very favorable prognosis. This is because normal troponin levels can identify low-risk individuals by ruling out problems and other conditions that may put patients in danger. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/heart-injury-biomarker-might-help-covid-19-patients-avoid-hospitalization-study/1533189/ )