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«It happens that even ninety-year-olds do not get sick, they only have a mild cold. On the other hand, young people, aged only 30-45, who are hypersensitive to infection, go under respirators »- warns prof. Krzysztof Simon, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology at the Medical University of Wroclaw. What does it depend on if we get sick? The professor points to two important factors.
What does SARS-CoV-2 infection depend on? Important factors
We know that the coronavirus is especially dangerous for the elderly. However, age does not always determine SARS-CoV-2 infection and the course of the COVID-19 disease, emphasized Prof. Krzysztof Simon during the online meeting of the Parliamentary Team for Children.
– It happens that even ninety-year-olds do not get sick, they only have a mild cold. On the other hand, young people, aged only 30-45, who are hypersensitive to infection, come under respirators, the expert warns.
Whether a coronavirus infection occurs depends mainly on the number of viral particles to which we are exposed, as well as the immune response of our body – says the specialist.
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According to the professor, an important role is also played by the density of receptors in our body through which the virus enters and reproduces in cells. The number of receptors changes with age, which is why i.a. Older people tend to be at greater risk of becoming infected and suffering from COVID-19.
Remember that infection occurs primarily through close contact, lasting at least 15 minutes, with an infected person who sheds viruses. You can also get infected from a child who does not show any symptoms, but then you need a much longer contact. “If the asymptomatic child does not cough or snort, the chance of receiving large doses of the virus is rather small,” he added.
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Coronavirus also stays on various surfaces, so when we touch the places where they are located and then touch the eyes or mouth, we can cause infection. Infection can occur anywhere, especially in public places, mainly indoors and on public transport.
However, no matter where we come into contact with the virus, infection is determined primarily by the dose of the pathogen to which we are exposed. – Whether a coronavirus infection occurs depends on the one hand on the number of virus particles to which we are exposed, and on the other hand, on the immune response of our body – emphasizes Prof. Simon.
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The course of the infection may also depend on the dose of viruses. – The problem is this group of people who are infected with a massive amount of the virus because someone coughed in their face, lives with an infected person or is in a hospital ward where the nurse coughed because there was no one to replace her – explained the specialist.
COVID-19 disease develops dangerously when a person’s body responds poorly to the infection. It spreads cytokines and other substances in the alarmed immune system, but overreacts to the threat, it destroys lung tissue, leading to the syndrome of acute respiratory failure and multiple organs.
The immune response depends on a person’s genetic dispositionas well as many other factors, however, the load of the virus to which we are exposed is of great importance. – The smaller it is, the greater the chance of a normal response and elimination of the virus without sequelae. Even if the disease develops, such patients may survive – emphasized prof. Simon.
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An important role is played by the number of receptors for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in our body. They are found in the upper respiratory tract, but also in many other tissues and organs, such as the lungs, heart and intestines. However, most of them are found in the epithelium of blood vessels.
“Endothelial vasculitis is the underlying problem of this infection,” he adds. Due to it, the tendency to clots and embolism increases. The air sacs of the lungs become inflamed with thrombosis, which makes the lung red and looks more like a liver.
“You can never be sure how your body will react to an infection”
The risk of severe COVID-19 disease increases with age and with other conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease. However, the prognosis is particularly unfavorable for obese people.
Various diseases are more common in the elderly, who in addition have more coronavirus receptors in the respiratory tract and show less immunity. Over 80 years of age, every fourth person suffering from COVID-19 dies, while children die extremely rarely, these are only isolated cases.
Prof. However, Simon pointed out that even in young people it is never certain how the body will react to the infection. Therefore, potentially everyone is at risk. Severe COVID-19 mileage occurs in 20 percent. patients, and one in ten survives on artificial ventilation.
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When will the epidemic end?
In his opinion, it is not known when the epidemic will end. It should be taken into account that it will probably never end and will remain in our environment just like the flu, and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus will mutate. “The vaccines that are likely to be available will have to be changed every year or two, as will the seasonal flu vaccines,” he added.
The main thing is to follow the rules of protection against infection. In this regard, nothing has changed in over 100 years with the emergence of the extremely deadly flu pandemic. In 1918 in Krakow, a leaflet addressed to the population called for keeping distances, washing hands and wearing a mask.
– Nobody shouted then that civil rights were violated and everyone was following the recommendations. In our country, however, some people tend to disregard all regulations – emphasized the specialist. He added that his hospital had admitted patients who had previously denied the existence of a pandemic. Fortunately, they recovered and are now fighting the covid-skeptics.
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PAP / Zbigniew Wojtasiński