A pandemic in action

ABSTRACT

For some, symptoms can be severe, progressing from viral pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and/or cardiac injury, to multiple organ failure and death.1 Even those surviving this more severe form of the illness may suffer from ongoing cardiac and respiratory damage.2 Risk of death increases with age or in the presence of co-morbidities such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease, diabetes, cancer or impaired immune function. Mortality rate unclear Calculating the mortality rate of COVID-19 is difficult because * We do not have an accurate count of cases due to milder cases going unrecognised and low rates of testing in a number of countries. * Death rates are affected by regional health-care capabilities and access to intensive care for the seriously ill. Coronaviruses may last on surfaces for anything from a few hours up to nine days, depending on temperature, humidity and the type of surface.7 However, they can be inactivated with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite.7 Once transferred to a mucosal surface, the SRAS-CoV-2 virus attaches to receptors on the surface of cells, mainly the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor.