((medrxiv.org/content/10.1101... has been confirmed by so many medical doctors working on ground zero in Wuhan, the study shows that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can also attack and damage the nervous system
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pdpatient
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" The infection of SARS‐CoV has been reported in the brains from both patients and experimental animals, where the brainstem was heavily infected. Furthermore, some coronaviruses have been demonstrated able to spread via a synapse‐connected route to the medullary cardiorespiratory center from the mechano‐ and chemoreceptors in the lung and lower respiratory airways. In light of the high similarity between SARS‐CoV and SARS‐CoV2, it is quite likely that the potential invasion of SARS‐CoV2 is partially responsible for the acute respiratory failure of COVID‐19 patients"
Answers the question about the implications and relevancy of COVID-19 (potentially) for elderly PD patients who are immune compromised with signs of of mid to late term progression. Could mean significant higher levels of mortality, but we don't have any real reliable data yet to make that determination.
Interesting how all the relevant cell studies on the virus are originating from China. Wonder why (rhetorical).
In a jestful way, a friend of mine said the other day, "with everything made in China, it was only a matter of time before our death was also made in China"
Italy remains "holding" at a mortality rate of just north of 5% with 9200 cases on 465 deaths...
No one can tell me "why" Italy is an epicenter for the EU other than the tried and true "Schengen" visa policy. Granted, Schengen does not equal EU, but almost.
400,00 Chinese immigrants in last 10-15 years ( probably many more going back 50 years, perhaps 1 million?) is probably part of the answer...given their concentration in northern Italy.
Sharon, in Italy the problem is the high number of hospitalizations for which "severe" measures have been adopted. The first European case is German around mid-January. The percentage of deaths varies every day, here are some data:
“The average age of deceased and positive COVID-2019 patients is 81 years, they are mostly men and in more than two thirds of cases they have three or more pre-existing diseases. This was stated in an analysis of the data of 105 Italian patients who died on 4 March, conducted by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, which highlights that there are 20 years of difference between the average age of the deceased and that of the virus positive patients.
The report concerns deceased patients and is based on data obtained through the compilation of a questionnaire developed specifically for the purpose of detecting death cases.
The average age of the patients examined is 81 years, about 20 years higher than that of the patients who contracted the infection, and women are 28 (26.7%).
The majority of deaths 42.2% occurred in the age group between 80 and 89 years, while 32.4% were between 70 and 79, 8.4% between 60 and 69, 2.8% between 50 and 59 and 14.1% over 90 years.
Women who died after contracting COVID-2019 infection are older than men (median age women 83.4 - median age men 79.9). The average number of pathologies observed in this population is 3.4 (median 3, Standard Deviation 2.1). Overall, 15.5% of the sample had 0 or 1 pathologies, 18.3% had 2 pathologies and 67.2% had 3 or more pathologies. The most represented comorbidity is hypertension (present in 74.6% of the sample), followed by ischemic heart disease (70.4%) and diabetes mellitus (33.8%).
The median time from the onset of symptoms to hospitalization was 5 days and the median of the time between hospitalization and death was 4 days. "Although preliminary, these data confirm the observations made so far in the rest of the world on the main characteristics of patients - comments the president of ISS Silvio Brusaferro -, in particular on the fact that the elderly and people with pre-existing diseases are more at risk. These are very fragile people, who often live in close contact and who we must protect as much as possible ".
Thank you very much for the data. Pretty much matches the data presented in the Lancet study.
But let's continue to probe "why" Italy. As of March 10, 2020, they report more than 10,000 cases. Death toll climbed 35% in one day to now reach 631.
Assuming the numbers are "reasonably" accurate, the mortality rate is a staggering 6.3%.
Putting the numbers together, (75% mortality > 70 years), we can see the elderly Italian (and elsewhere) population severely impacted by this virus. Very concerning since this mortality rate is substantially above any seasonal flu estimates from the US CDC since they began computer modeling (2010).
The Italian figure is explainable that of Germany a little less: 1000 infected and only 1 died until a few days ago. It depends on whether you count the deaths "for" or "with" the virus and whether you test at all or only with stringent symptoms or criteria. Even today the head of the Italian civil protection has said that there were 56 deaths with the virus but that they were already sick: here they all count for the virus. The problem is the percentage of patients admitted to intensive care, which is a demanding therapy with forced ventilation machines and anesthesiologists since places are limited. It is a small percentage of the infected but an important absolute numbers.
My info source(s), which are reliable to he extent anything can be, say "total cases confirmed" = 10,149 in Italy. Total deaths confirmed related in some way to the virus = 631....up from previous day's 463
"head of the Italian civil protection has said that there were 56 deaths with the virus ... 56 deaths? Don't think so.
Germany's data is comparable to Italy's? No way, if that is what you are suggesting.
Here are the numbers to date: "As part of health monitoring relating to the spread of the new Coronavirus on the national territory, there are 10149 total cases, at the moment 8514 people are positive for the virus.
There are 1004 people healed.
There are 5038 patients hospitalized with symptoms, 877 in intensive care, while 2599 are in home isolation.
631 have died, however, this number can only be confirmed after the Istituto Superiore di Sanità has established the actual cause of the death.
"healed"? Probably some are in remission since probably 10-15% will become infected again if the Chinese data is remotely accurate. Of course, was the initial test accurate? Doubtful n many cases.
so, if you or your source's #s are correct, the mortality rate for Italy is a whopping 631/8514 = 7.39%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
or my #s (6.3%) if we use 10,149.
Either way, Italy has a major problem regardless of the confounding issue of "co-factors". Co-factor input is somewhat irrelevant if the independent variable is the virus, which it is. Similar to HIV data analysis or cancer analysis.
Lombardy apparently hits 8% mortality with new #s, which again raises the question which you nor I can answer: "why Italy?" Or, more importantly, will see continual rises in mortality? An, if so, why?
You live in Italy. Not sure why you bring up Germany. "under reporting" seems to be the name of the game in some countries.
My sources: Germany reported 1,139 cases. Are they actively testing? Who knows.
"The saga went on for days until his local health department called and had him get tested after all. As someone who'd come in contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient, Kegler (said) he expected to be sent straight away to get tested.
"In the end, I was shocked and amazed that it wasn't as easy as I'd thought," he said.
Germany doesn't have any more test kits than anyone else....so, everything is just fine because "we have no problem".
Yes Gio. Do take care. Keep washing hands, no Italian greeting, 🤣 wear a mask if exposed to more people. So sad to see Italy overwhelmed but help is on the way.
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