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BIOLOGY SUMMARY
How does Corona Virus kill ?
Coronaviruses typically affect the respiratory system,
causing symptoms such as coughing and shortness of
breath. Some people, including older adults, are at risk
of severe illness from these viruses.One example
is severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which
caused a pandemic in 2002.The outbreak of the disease
known as COVID-19 is the result of the novel
coronavirus, now renamed SARS-CoV-2, that has spread
rapidly across many parts of the world.

Viruses work by hijacking cells in the body. They enter

host cells and reproduce. They can then spread to new
cells around the body.Coronaviruses mostly affect the
respiratory system, which is a group of organs and
tissues that allow the body to breathe.Respiratory
illnesses affect different parts of this respiratory
system, such as the lungs. A coronavirus typically
infects the lining of the throat, airways, and lungs.Early
symptoms of coronavirus may include coughing or
shortness of breath. In some cases, it can cause severe
damage to the lungs.For example, some people might
develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, leading to
severe breathing difficulties.

Acute respiratory distress syndrom occurs when fluid

builds up in tiny, elastic air sacs, known as alveoli, in
your lungs.The fluid keeps your lungs from filling with
enough air, which means less oxygen reaches your
bloodstream.This deprives you’re your organs of the
oxygen they need to function.So this makes you stay
with a ventilator until the fluid goes away and your
body has full oxygen.
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Three treatments were discovered throughout the 21 st

Century to help treat ARDS.
In 2000, low tidal volume was a treatment discovered ,
also known as ventilator support. All patients with ARDS
will require extra oxygen. Oxygen alone is usually not
enough, and high levels of oxygen can also injure the
lung. A ventilator is a machine used to open airspaces
that have shut down and help with the work of
breathing. The ventilator is connected to the patient
through a mask on the face or a tube inserted into the
windpipe.The averge death rate dropped from 40% to
31%.
The second treatment was paralysis, discovered in
2010. To relieve shortness of breath and prevent
agitation, the ARDS patient usually needs sedation.
Sometimes added medications called paralytics are
needed up front to help the patient adjust to the
ventilator. These medications have significant side
effects and their risks and benefits must be
continuously monitored.This reduced the average death
rate from 41% to 32%.
The thrid and last treatment, found in 2013, is known as
prone positioning. ARDS patients are typically in bed on
their back. When oxygen and ventilator therapies are at
high levels and blood oxygen is still low, ARDS patients
are sometimes turned over on their stomach to get
more oxygen into the blood. This is called proning and
may help improve oxygen levels in the blood for a
while. It is a complicated task and some patients are
too sick for this treatment.This caused the death rates
to drop from 33% to 16%.
ARDS patients may require ventilation for long periods
of time. On average this is seven to 14 days. Beyond
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this time, doctors may suggest a tube be placed directly

into the windpipe through the neck by a surgeon.
Usually the doctor believes it may take weeks more to
recover from ventilator support. This tube can easily be
removed once the patient is free of the need for a
ventilator. It is important to note that most people
survive ARDS. They will not require oxygen on a long-
term basis and will regain most of their lung function.
Others will struggle with muscle weakness and may
require re-hospitalization or pulmonary rehabilitation to
regain their strength.