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    Science Based Medicine.org Coronavirus Myths and Facts

    Note: As of the
    published date of
    March 4, 2020.
     
    Science Based Medicine.org
     
    Since 2008 Science-Based Medicine is a website with
    articles covering issues in science and medicine,
    especially dangerous medical scams and practices.
     
     

    Coronavirus Myths and Facts

    There is legitimate reason to be concerned about the novel Coronavirus epidemic, but that does not mean there is reason to panic. Fear is fertile ground for conspiracy theories, snake oil, and general misinformation, and it seems like we are due for a round of separating fact from fiction about the Coronavirus. Let’s start with some basic background and an update on the numbers.

    SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19

    Coronavirus is a genus of viruses that are zoonotic, meaning they can be shared between humans and other animals, and cause respiratory illness in humans. There are four strains known to cause the common cold. There are now three strains that cause severe respiratory illness – SARS (technically SARS-CoV), MERS, and now SARS-CoV-2, as the new strain is officially known. SARS stands for “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome” while MERS stands for “Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome”. The new virus is similar to SARS, and so is essentially SARS-2.

    The illness produced by SARS-CoV-2 is the Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19 for short. We are still in the middle of this epidemic, and so it will take time to sort out the full characteristics of this illness. But here are the numbers so far: Total confirmed infections: 94,200; Total deaths: 3,219. There are reported cases in over 80 countries. Neither the CDC nor the WHO have declared the disease a pandemic yet, but it seems inevitable and imminent. The term “pandemic” does not have a strict technical definition, but basically it means there is sustained person-to-person spread in multiple countries. If we are not there yet, we are close. In any case, the CDC and WHO are talking about “pandemic preparedness”.

    The mortality rate of COVID-19 so far is about 6% (counting completed cases). About 17% of people confirmed to have the disease have a serious illness, while most people will have a mild to moderate illness. These percentages can change depending on whether or not you count people who have the virus but are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic. But of course, that will also significantly increase the number of cases.

    Continues at sciencebasedmedicine.org/coronavirus-myths-and-facts/

     

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    ~OGD~

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    Medical facts about worst case scenario (and you can trust these medical facts more than others because: the publication comes out of a non-profit system!)

    How doctors treat the sickest coronavirus patients

    By William Booth @ WashingtonPost.com, March 7, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. EST

    It is now surely one of the most-read medical reports among caregivers in intensive care units around the world who are bracing for the novel coronavirus. The paper, published in the British medical journal the Lancet last month by a team of doctors working at the center of the outbreak, is the first study to characterize the clinical course, treatment and mortality of a group of critically ill patients infected by the new SARS-CoV-2 virus [....]



    Coronavirus: some recovered patients may have reduced lung function and are left gasping for air while walking briskly, Hong Kong doctors find
    Hospital Authority releases its findings after observing the first group of discharged coronavirus patients
    Some patients might have a drop of about 20 to 30 per cent in lung function, says medical director of Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital

    Elizabeth Cheung @ South China Morning Post
    Published: 12:04am, 13 Mar, 2020


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