In some patients who died with severe COVID-19 and respiratory failure, a jelly was formed in the lungs. Researchers have now established what the active agent in the jelly is and thanks to that, this new discovery can now be the key to new effective therapies. This according to a new study at Umeå University.
“There are already therapies that either slow down the body’s production of this jelly or breaks down the jelly through an enzyme. Our findings can also explain why cortisone seems to have an effect on COVID-19,” says Urban Hellman, researcher at Umeå University in Sweden.
When performing lung scans on critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection, medical professionals have been able to see white patches. Additionally, the autopsies of some deceased COVID-19 patients have shown that the lungs were filled with a clear liquid jelly, much resembling the lungs of someone who has drowned. It was previously unknown where this jelly originated from. Now though, a group of researchers at the Translational Research Centre at Umeå University have shown that the jelly consists of the substance hyaluronan, which is a polysaccharide in the glycosaminoglycan group.
Interesting, 2greys. My 100yr old Mum’s recent medical MOT showed some liquid in base of lungs, which GP said not necessary to treat in the light of her age.
She has had mild COPD for some years, as an ex-smoker, maybe this is what’s happening with her? Hope it doesn’t progress much further. Her breathing is fine mostly, though if her regular use of salbutamol inhaler gets forgotten, she starts to cough.
Thanks for giving us access to all your well researched articles.
Morning 2greys and another well found piece of real information regarding COVID-19. Just as @Yatzy said, we are privileged to have you, siphoning through lots of rubbish reports. Again, many thanks. 🐿🌈
That’s very interesting. There is so much to be investigated and this is why they haven’t found a definite cure yet. I know they’ve got maybe cures but nothing absolutely positive. I think it’s very close though. I wonder if everything was like it is now when flu first hit the world? The only thing I can remember in history to be similar was the Plague.
The trouble is that a lot of people are ignoring that this disease can be a killer. That is the ones that are spreading it and making it such a risk for both older and people with already compromised health.
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