I know there are a couple of SARS threads here already, but I think this is a slightly different question.
Does anyone know if there is a pattern emerging on why some people die from SARS? Is there a common factor in fatalities? All I’ve heard is vague stuff about ‘age’ (how old is ‘elderly’?) and ‘underlying medical conditions’ (like what?). Can we assume that SARS will act like flu, which you can expect to survive unless you are very old, very young or very frail, or is it a virus that is just as likely to kill a healthy adult?
Given that the info from China is probably unreliable, the deaths in Canada (13 out of 140 cases, with 65 classified as ‘recovered’ according to WHO) are probably the best indicator of how many and what type of people are likely to die in a developed country with good medical care. So, what if anything did those 13 have in common, and what if anything do the 65 who have already recovered have in common?
PS: Please don’t think I’m trying to imply that the deaths of the elderly or infirm are somehow less important (I hate that implicit ‘just’ before ‘elderly’ and I’m not particularly firm myself) - I’m just after some facts or informed info.
In Canada, most of the severe cases (requiring intubation – these are the folks who die) have been in patients over the age of 65 with severe co-existing problems like emphysema or kidney failure present before SARS. One was immunosuppressed due to a recent transplant. Young, healthy people have not been the usual person to die of SARS.
I find it suspicious that many of those with SARS are the health care workers with daily monitored temperatures. It is certainly possible that this could be a selection bias and that the disease is present in the community in a sub-clinical fashion, without fever and all of the listed “signs”. The epidemiological curve in Canada does show it is dying down, and never the exponential rise feared for the last few weeks. It is difficult to blame the success for this on hospital isolation, given the delay in instituting these procedures, and when these measures are not generally used in the community clinics where patients often go before being referred to hospital.
Don’t get me started on the craven WHO advice.
Well I’m going to bump this thread - never done this before but its pretty topical and I was surprised to get only one reply - albeit a good one, thanks Doc Paprika.
Any second opinions out there?