Warnings!!!
Although a person has a negative COVID test. they can still spread the disease because they are a carrier.
Those who do not get a booster experience difficult COVID symptoms or die. Those who get boosters will experience mild COVID symptoms, no death.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It has caused a pandemic of respiratory illness, called COVID-19.
Currently, >1,150,000 people died in the US, including 16,833 from Maryland.
Update: As of December 2021 the new variant, Omicron is more contagious than Delta, but not more dangerous. CDC recommends full vaccination including booster.
Update Oct. 2021: What the Future May Hold for the Coronavirus and Us
- “We just have uncontrolled infections in much of the world, and that’s going to lead to more chances for the virus to evolve,” Dr. Lauring said.
- The coronavirus could shift in countless ways, but there are three concerning possibilities: 1) It could become more transmissible, 2) it could become better at evading our immune system, or 3) it could become more virulent, causing more serious disease.
- Even for a virus, evolution is a long game, and our relationship with SARS-CoV-2 is still in its infancy. We are extremely unlikely to eradicate the virus, scientists say, and what the next few years — and decades — hold is difficult to predict.
Dodging immunity
In addition to becoming more transmissible, some variants have also acquired the ability to dodge some of our antibodies. Delta appears to evade some antibodies, but there are other variants, particularly Beta, that are even better at dodging these defenses. For now, Delta is so infectious that it has managed to outcompete, and thus limit the spread of, these stealthier variants.
The good news is that there are many different kinds of antibodies, and a variant with a few new mutations is unlikely to escape them all, experts said.
“The immune system has also evolved to have plenty of tricks up its sleeve to counteract the evolution of the virus,” Dr. Pepper said. “Knowing that there is this complex level of diversity in the immune system allows me to sleep better at night.”
Certain T cells, for instance, destroy virus-infected cells, helping to reduce the severity of the disease. Together, our assortment of T cells can recognize at least 30 to 40 different pieces of SARS-CoV-2, researchers have found.
“It’s a lot harder to evade T cell responses than antibody responses,” said Dr. Celine Gounder an infectious disease specialist at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
And then there are B cells, which generate our army of antibodies. Even after we clear the infection, the body keeps churning out B cells for a while, deliberately introducing small genetic mutations. The result is an enormously diverse collection of B cells producing an array of antibodies, some of which might be a good match for the next variant that comes along.
So far, studies suggest that our antibody, T cell, and B cell responses are all working as expected when it comes to SARS-CoV-2. “This virus is mostly playing by immunological rules we understand,” Dr. Crotty said.
Eventually, as viral evolution slows down and our immune systems catch up, we will reach an uneasy equilibrium with the virus, scientists predict. We will never extinguish it, but it will smolder rather than rage.
Video /COVID-19 is a derivative of the SARS virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
How Does Coronavirus Attack Your Body?
A virus infects your body by entering healthy cells. There, the invader makes copies of itself and multiplies throughout your body.
The new coronavirus latches its spiky surface proteins to receptors on healthy cells, especially those in your lungs.
Specifically, the viral proteins bust into cells through ACE2 receptors. Once inside, the coronavirus hijacks healthy cells and takes command. Eventually, it kills some of the healthy cells.
SYMPTOMS
How Does Coronavirus Move Through Your Body?
COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, starts with droplets from an infected person’s cough, sneeze, or breath. They could be in the air or on a surface that you touch before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. That gives the virus passage to the mucous membranes in your throat. Within 2 to 14 days, your immune system may respond with symptoms including:
- Fever
- A cough
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Fatigue
- Chills, sometimes with shaking
- Body aches
- Headache
- A sore throat
- Congestion or a runny nose
- Loss of taste
- Loss of smell
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
The virus moves down your respiratory tract. That’s the airway that includes your mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. Your lower airways have more ACE2 receptors than the rest of your respiratory tract. So COVID-19 is more likely to go deeper than viruses like the common cold.
Note: The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is an enzyme that converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II helps increase blood pressure by causing small blood vessels in the body to tighten or narrow.
LUNG INFECTION
Your lungs might become inflamed, making it tough for you to breathe. This can lead to pneumonia, an infection of the tiny air sacs (called alveoli) inside your lungs where your blood exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide.
If your doctor does a CT scan of your chest, they’ll probably see shadows or patchy areas called “ground-glass opacity.”
For most people, the symptoms end with a cough and a fever. More than 8 in 10 cases are mild. But for some, the infection gets more severe. About 5 to 8 days after symptoms begin, they have shortness of breath (known as dyspnea). Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) begins a few days later.
ARDS can cause rapid breathing, a fast heart rate, dizziness, and sweating. It damages the tissues and blood vessels in your alveoli, causing debris to collect inside them. This makes it harder or even impossible for you to breathe.
Many people who get ARDS need help to breathe from a machine called a ventilator.
As fluid collects in your lungs, they carry less oxygen to your blood. That means your blood may not supply your organs with enough oxygen to survive. This can cause your kidneys, lungs, and liver to shut down and stop working.
Not everyone who has COVID-19 has these serious complications. And not everyone needs medical care. But if your symptoms include trouble breathing, get help right away.
In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Thursday that three positive coronavirus cases were confirmed in the state and that the patients contracted the virus while traveling overseas. They are quarantined in their homes in Montgomery County, a suburb of about 1 million people outside Washington, D.C
February 27, 2020
Email from Bill Elliot. The Chief Operating Officer of University of Maryland Faculty Physicians, Inc
The state of the management of the COVID-19 virus across the nation is changing daily and for the hospital’s almost hourly.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS:
Given that new cases are being identified in persons who have not traveled nor had any contact with those who have, AND
Given that the COVID-19 has now been identified in 83,342 persons in over 24 countries including the US,
There is logical assumption that the virus is already here, in Maryland and will present itself prominently in the next 30 days or sooner.
With that assumption, hospitals across the nation are immediately changing operations.
Prevention of spread is the #1 action, as there is no treatment.
FPI, UMMS, UMMC, and UMB are monitoring the issues and working together to establish rules of operations to take effect NOW and how to move forward.
We will continue to update this information as needed. We do not have all the answers yet!
WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IMMEDIATELY:
1. ‘WE’ means ALL OF US. This means YOU…clinicians, staff, researchers, students…everyone! In every building and every area on campus and across the system of hospitals and our practices.
2. The Virus is understood to spread by droplets, so Droplet Transmission Prevention is most important.
3. What you should do Immediately:
a. Stop all handshaking immediately
b. Avoid contact with rails, and doorknobs with your hands as much as possible- use your arms, shoulders, etc.
c. If you are sick with respiratory symptoms but without a fever- you must wear a Mask at work and WASH your HANDS- Contact precautions.
d. If you are sick with respiratory symptoms and a fever, it is expected you will STAY HOME. For how long has yet to be determined.
e. As you can see, this could potentially impact our workforce dramatically should this become more widespread.
4. What the hospital is doing immediately
a. Patients coming in the door are screened for respiratory symptoms and triaged to contact precautions immediately
b. Plans are in place to convert beds and entire units to negative pressure treatment areas if necessary.
c. There is a possibility that we will move into COMPLETE VISITOR RESTRICTIONS if this becomes more obvious but visitor limitation to low numbers is being considered right now and visitor screening at hospital entry points is being developed. All handshaking by greeters has been stopped.
d. Rapid Testing is being developed now and the goal is to push it out to the State level in the next several weeks. This will make management much clearer, but for now, we need to move into prevention mode.
5. What we should be doing in the ambulatory areas:
a. Not figured out yet but ANYONE who comes into a clinic mildly sick SHOULD BE SENT HOME. Not to the ED or Hospital. The goal is to keep mildly sick folks out of the hospital and at home.
b. Physicians should be given 60-90 days of meds in preparation for the worsening of the virus and need to create a higher level of ‘social isolation’ to prevent the spread of the virus.
Life Changes
The federal government downplayed the importance of the virus, and individuals in different states sometimes did not practice prevention.
Later, to help prevent the spread of the virus, governors enacted executive orders. Masks were made mandatory for outwear, and social distance was 6 ft. People had to disinfect surfaces such as knobs and countertops and stay home. Most deaths occurred in nursing homes. The second highest facility was meat packing companies, then prisons.
Non-essential workers laid off. Some businesses closed down permanently. Restaurants, retail stores, beaches, sports games, and entertainment that drew large crowds canceled. Some late-night hosts performed at home. Some Governors required online schools or gave packages to those without computers. Graduation was virtual. Specific networks filmed the speakers living in the arena.
Unemployment (>30 million people) was unprecedented. The federal government enacted the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) to alleviate unemployment costs, a loan for employers that employ less than 500 people. This program was intended to help small businesses survive; instead, companies worth billions received a loan. For example, the NBA Lakers worth $3.7 billion received $4.6 million. Harvard, with a 40 billion endowment, received a loan too. Due to public shaming, the two organizations gave back the money. The program was underfunded and became bankrupt.
Predictions
Based on society’s behavior, a person’s mindset will be considerate of others with health issues. Society abolishes income inequality and demands free bandwidth for learning activities. The people will punish leaders that divide the union and violate their oath to the country, esp. the President. Also, the government will grant Medicare for all!
Reference: New York Times, WebMD
