Novel Coronavirus Causes Pneumonia, Who Is Most Vulnerable?
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Until Friday (31/1), novel coronavirus which attacked China and dozens of other countries has caused more than 9,000 people infected and 213 people died. On average, death was caused by complications in the form of pneumonia in patients with deteriorating health conditions.
Novel coronavirus is considered a new disease and scientists are not sure how dangerous this disease is. However, the impact over the past month has been quite large and worrisome. What exactly does that make novel coronavirus be deadly?
Novel coronavirus causes pneumonia
Novel coronavirus caused by infection with a new type of virus from a large family coronavirus. There are six types coronavirus which can attack the human respiratory system. Novel coronavirus from Wuhan City, China, is the seventh.
This large group of viruses attacks the respiratory system and causes respiratory problems of varying severity. To date, coronavirus which have been found are divided as follows:
- 229E (alpha coronavirus)
- NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
- OC43 (beta coronavirus)
- HKU1 (beta coronavirus)
- MERS-CoV
- SARS-CoV
- 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Most of the coronavirus actually triggers fairly common respiratory problems like colds or flu-like symptoms. However, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and novel coronavirus can lead to a more dangerous complication, namely pneumonia.
SARS-CoV is coronavirus causes of disease Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which became an epidemic in 2003. Meanwhile, MERS-CoV causes an outbreak Middle East Respiratory Syndrome which spread in 21 countries in 2013.
When it first appeared in Wuhan City, novel coronavirus causes pneumonia-like symptoms. These symptoms led scientists to suspect that pneumonia was the cause. In fact, the patient actually experienced complications from the infection novel coronavirus.
The process that occurs when a person is infected novel coronavirus
Although it can cause pneumonia, novel coronavirus actually not a disease that is definitely deadly. Before experiencing pneumonia, people who were infected novel coronavirus will exhibit fairly common symptoms, such as fever, dry cough, and weakness.
Symptoms can last for a week before they become really bothersome and make the patient feel like he should go to the doctor. Unfortunately, treatment during this period may be a bit late because the symptoms will get worse by the second week.
Entering the second week, novel coronavirus may not have caused pneumonia, but the patient begins to experience shortness of breath as a result of lung injury. About 25 to 32 percent of infected people will need intensive care in the ICU.
If left untreated, lung damage results novel coronavirus can cause other complications such as septic shock, kidney failure, and pneumonia made worse by bacterial infections. Doctors can treat bacterial pneumonia with ease, but it is made more difficult to treat due to previous viral infections.
Novel coronavirus it can cause pneumonia, but not all cases of this viral infection are deadly. With early detection and proper treatment, the patient’s condition can return to stability or even recover completely.
According to the data collected in Worldometer, the death rate from infection novel coronavirus is about three percent. This figure is much lower than SARS which reached 9.6% or MERS of 34.4% worldwide.
Of all cases of death due to infection novel coronavirus, as many as 15 percent of them occur in elderly patients with declining health conditions. Novel coronavirus it does cause pneumonia, but it is experienced by patients who have already suffered from the disease.
Who is vulnerable to experiencing death from novel coronavirus?
Researchers do not yet fully understand how lethal the infection is novel coronavirus. The good news is, the lower mortality rate could be an indication of infection novel coronavirus not as dangerous as SARS or MERS.
Even so, contagion novel coronavirus rated faster than the two diseases. David Fisman, a professor at the University of Toronto, Canada, said the transmission rate ranged from 1.4 to 3.8. This means that one patient can pass the infection to 1 to 3 healthy people.
Meanwhile, researchers in China believe that the infection rate of the 2021-nCoV coded virus may reach 5.5. This is quite worrisome, given the infection novel coronavirus can cause dangerous complications such as pneumonia.
Everyone who does not take precautions is actually at risk of contracting it novel coronavirus and experience the complications. However, there are several groups that are most at risk, namely:
1. Elderly patients suffering from comorbidities
Novel coronavirus can affect anyone. However, as many as 15 percent of deaths occur in the elderly who already have comorbidities or comorbidities. Patients generally suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease.
2. Patients with a weak immune system
Patients with weakened immune systems cannot fight off infections as well as people with normal immune systems. As a result, infection novel coronavirus can cause pneumonia and other complications more quickly.
To maintain endurance, you can do it by consuming vitamin C. But it’s not enough just vitamin C, to maintain endurance combination is neededseveral vitamins and minerals. Other types of vitamins that you need for example vitamins A, E, and B complex.
For a strong immune system, you also need minerals such as selenium, zinc and iron. Selenium maintains cell strength and prevents DNA damage. Then zinc triggers an immune response. In addition, iron helps the absorption of vitamin C.
3. Pregnant women
The fetus does not yet have its own immune system. The mother’s immune system decreases during pregnancy because her body has to protect the fetus at the same time. This is why novel coronavirus easier to infect pregnant women and cause pneumonia.
4. People who don’t get vaccines booster
Patient novel coronavirus male sex more than female. The reason is suspected because women routinely get vaccines booster rubella as a teenager. However, researchers still need to reexamine it. If the rubella vaccine does have an effect, it will certainly help make the vaccine novel coronavirus.
Infection novel coronavirus can lead to dangerous complications in the form of pneumonia. However, infection novel coronavirus not classified as deadly and not all infected patients will experience it. There are factors that need to be taken into account before determining the severity of an infection novel coronavirus.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
