CajunWX — Berwick Bay Storms

UPDATE: AT 2 PM GOVERNOR EDWARDS ANNOUNCED A STAY HOME AND SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER FOR THE ENTIRE STATE BEGINNING AT 5 PM MONDAY, MARCH 23, IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW THE NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES IN LOUISIANA. WE NOW LEAD THE WORLD IN THE GROWTH OF CASES. THIS IS NOT A TIME WE WANT TO BE NUMBER 1!!

I have concentrated in past on the virus itself and how it is spreading. Today I will look at the course of the disease itself. Before I start describing the evolution of the disease process, it needs to be understood that not everyone has the severe course we will discuss. In fact, as previously noted, some will not even know they have anything other than a mild cold or allergies. That said, no matter how dangerous the severity of the course of the disease, the person infected can spread the disease to anyone they come in contact with.

Most of those infected will either have been within 6-9 feet of someone infected or come in contact with virus particles on a surface. The virus particles make their way to the nose, mouth, and/or nose of the victim and are further transferred into the body and lungs via respiration and swallowing. Once in the body, the virus seeks out cells with ACE2 receptors. Then like a lock and key, the spike protein on the SARS CoV 2 virus attaches perfectly with an ACE2 receptor, allowing the strand of RNA in the virus to hijack the cell and begin reproducing more virus particles.

By the third day post contact, the virus is reproducing in such quantities that the body begins to shed thousands of virus particles with each breath. It is likely that saliva, tears, and possibly other bodily secretions also contain the virus. As the virus spreads throughout the body, the immune system senses an invasion by an outside organism and begins to mount an immune response. The myriad of antibodies in our body begin to see which ones might be able to attack the virus. Once antibodies begin to attach to the virus particles, the body begins to produce more of those specific antibodies. Within a few days, these antibodies can be detected in the body.

As the body cranks up its immune response, we begin to see the body try and fight off the virus. This is Day 1 of the illness. The body acts by raising the its temperature, fever, and trying to get rid of the invader by coughing. So the early symptoms are a dry cough, fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue, similar to when you have the seasonal flu. In about 80 % of cases, symptoms will get only slightly worse than the seasonal flu.

But in those cases involving elderly patients and those with other aggravating illnesses and compromised immune systems, things continue to worsen. Those 20% or so remaining victims will likely require hospitalization for their symptoms and distress. This normally occurs on about Day 7. The lungs are the primary target of the Covid-19 virus and as the virus works down the respiratory tract, we see the symptoms to evolve into case similar to bronchitis and eventually pneumonia.

Our lungs are made up of tiny air sacs known as alveoli. As the immune response battle moves to the lungs, the dry cough becomes a moist one. The alveoli come under attack by the virus and the virus is attacked by the immune system. This leads to an increase in secretions in the lungs and a thickening or swelling of the lining of the alveolar sacs, all of which leads to a build up of secretions in sections of the lungs, which causes a decrease in the capacity to process oxygen. Shortness of breath and a wet cough enter the symptom mix.

With less oxygen entering the system, organs such as the liver, kidneys and brain begin to work less efficiently and even fail. As more fluids build up in the lungs, consolidation, the blocking of entire sections of the lung by secretions, leads to expanding pneumonia. Things happen quicker now and by Day 8 a small percentage, about 5-7%, will develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). They require intensive care and ventilator support to deliver more oxygen to the body.

Should the lungs be damaged too much, we see organ failure and death. This is the end game for those faced with serious ARDS cases of the Covid-19 virus. Unlike cases of pneumonia caused by bacteria, there are no antibiotics which can fight the Covid-19 virus. Antibiotics may be used to prevent bacterial pneumonia from forming as well but will have no impact on the virus itself. By Day 11 or 12, those with serious ARDS will normally succumb to the illness.

Those who survive past day 12 and go on to survive the illness will normally be feeling better by Day 17 and those hospitalized in the ICU are normally released after a little over two weeks. They will now have a natural immunity to the virus. We do not know how long this immunity lasts, but history tells us we should be good for a year or so, Hopefully long enough to see a vaccine enter the picture.

As always, Stay Home, and Stay Safe. Follow the instructions of federal, state and local officials. It will save lives!