Coding Sepsis and COVID-19 as Principal Diagnosis

As new guideline refers to sepsis guideline, always remember whether sepsis or U07.1 meets the definition of principal diagnosis which is circumstances of admission. For instance, in the event that a patient is conceded with pneumonia due to COVID-19 which, at that point advances to viral sepsis (not present on admission), the primary diagnosis would be U07.1, COVID-19, trailed by the codes for the viral sepsis and viral pneumonia. Similarly if a patient is admitted with sepsis due to COVID-19 pneumonia then principal diagnosis should be A41.89 - Viral sepsis followed by U07.1 and J12.89, as secondary diagnoses because sepsis meets the definition of principal diagnosis(Sepsis already present at the time of admission).