Covid-19's cause killed even young and healthy patients.
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Ben and his wife in New Jersey (USA). Ben got Covid-19 infected and died at the age of 30(Photo: CNN) |
It was reported on CNN that in an early snapshot from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for 4,449 patients whose age was known, 18% were between age 45 and 54, and 29% were between 20 and 44 years old. Among those who were hospitalized, 18% were ages 45 to 54 and 20% were ages 20 to 44.
When Covid-19 rose from Wuhan epicenter in China, it was reported mostly deaths of old people. The Covid-19 virus seems most seriously affect older people, particularly those with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. It could be that an elderly person's immune systems may not be able to fight off the disease as well, and the virus can more easily replicate, overwhelming the body and causing multiple organ system failure.
Younger people are far less likely to die, but there is an unusual number of deaths between age 20 -45 which is high enough for some questions emerged why can Covid-19 kill young and healthy patients? Scientists and researchers have made some possibilities that:
One possibility is a gene variation in the ACE2 gene. ACE2 is an enzyme that attaches to the outer surface of cells in the lungs, as well as the heart. In an article in Science magazine, Immunologist Dr. Philip Murphy of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that "variations in the ACE2 gene that alter the receptor could make it easier or harder for the virus to get into lung cells."
It is also possible that a critical ingredient produced by the body, known as surfactant, which better allows the lungs to expand and contract, becomes depleted in some patients infected with the coronavirus. If you think of your lungs as a sponge, surfactant would be the detergent which would make them soft and pliable. Without surfactant, however, your lung becomes stiff and hard to squeeze. It may be why some patients continue to struggle even on a breathing machine.
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On the other hand, some young people think that it is not easy for them to get sick, so they pay no attention to social distancing or protective measures. That causes them contact directly to virus infections in surroundings. |
Ben's death at 30 age story is one of many cases that have perplexed health officials around the globe. Why is it that some young people who are supposed to be healthy and no any pre-existing conditions are getting sick and dying so abruptly?
For now, no matter your age or underlying condition, the advice remains the same. WHO warns people to stay home, wash hands and reduce virus exposure as much as possible.
Even if you do develop mild symptoms, it is probably best to stay home to recover.
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