Assuming some who have contracted the virus have survived, how did they? Drugs? Strong immune system? And w/regard to those currently afflicted, with what are they being treated?
From the reports I have read, the fatalities are mostly confined to the elderly, the very young and people with an existing respiratory problem.
You might be looking at it the wrong way. It’s not Ebola. Vastly more people are surviving than not. As with all outbreaks, the most vulnerable are the very young, the very old, and the immune-suppressed and those with existing medical issues. If none of those are you, I wouldn’t worry. If one or more of those are you, certainly take precautions, mostly of the hygiene type, but you are still probably fine.
Yeah, it’s not so much “strong immune system”, as “normal immune system”. Heck, you’ve probably had a coronavirus infection and survived it, too: A significant fraction of “common colds” are coronaviruses. The one that’s in the news of late is more severe than most, but it’s not that much more severe.
Actually, the virus doesn’t seem to be affecting young children as much.
One of the Diamond Princess passengers who contracted the virus was very recently interviewed by the CBC. She described mild symptoms.
Just to note, 49 to 56 is not considered elderly by just about everyone’s standards. You can’t even get a discount at Denny’s for that age range. The fear of the virus is that it is attacking non-elderly people with potentially deadly results. This age range is a significant portion of the business traveling class, which is one reason it is getting so much attention.
Agreed, which is why I posted the link in question.
It’s reminiscent (to me, anyway) of the 1918 flu pandemic, which mostly killed young adults.
Deaths seem to be primarily from pneumonia caused by the virus. Physical condition, age and quality of care are big factors in surviving pneumonia, and if you have it bad then hospitalisation is required, which from the published numbers is thankfully only a small percentage of those affected.
A question to ask is how your country would fare. Its (luckily) broken out in a centralised command economy that just ordered an additional 2,500 military medical people in to help, and can build a thousand bed hospital in the blink of an eye, and can enforce strict social movement. Your access to medical treatment is not based on your income or your work conditions. What will happen where you live?
So, basically, if someone in your household comes down with it, you should care for them as you would if they had a bad cold – plenty of rest, plenty of fluids, OTC drugs for fever and aches. Right?
At what point do you bundle them in the car for a trip to the ER, or call 911?
I’m hoping no one here or in my family has to deal directly with the disease, but it’s good to know how to do so if need be.
There is also often a cytokine storm effect in the body, which causes multiple organ failure and death.
Often?
You’re talking about different things. The virus can tend to infect middle aged people but also be mostly lethal to the elderly and young.
I haven’t read that this particular virus has been lethal to the young. The opposite, in fact. It seems to be mostly sparing the young, who can contract it, but seem unlikely to get seriously ill.
Most people who get it recover – this is a really bad cold, and while a few of the people who get it develop life-threatening pneumonia, it looks like some don’t get symptoms at all. (especially children.)
It’s not the only disease that’s less serious in children. Chickenpox is usually mild in kids, too. So’s mumps.
I think you treat at home, with ordinary supportive care (fluids, etc.) unless the victim starts to have trouble breathing. That’s when you try to arrange hospitalization. I read that doctors have tried a bunch of anti-virals, and some might be helpful. But I think even high-tech medical care is mostly about keeping the blood oxygenated and treating over-reactions of the immune system.
Talk to me about multiple serotypes and antibody-dependent enhancement, as with Dengue fever?