Re: Covid19
Originally Posted by
j44ke
is it the body’s own immune response to the infection in the blood?
In a word, yes. That's a good way to succinctly summarize it. The underlying mechanisms and pathways literally can fill a textbook, but it's a generally helpful teleological process (clotting in the face of disease) gone haywire. ARDS (the inflammatory component in the lungs that kills young people) is another example of this - the inflammation intended to kill the bugs goes haywire and inflames the lungs. Same thing with kidneys, liver in MSOF (multisystem organ failure). Modern medicine and bench research have been trying to mitigate this since I was in medical school (1979-1983). I spent my early career as an academic surgeon researching 'promising' ways of mitigating this problem in trauma patients (well, actually, rats and I owe you some of your tax dollars back from NHTSA grants). Thousands of people smarter than me have tried the same with little progress. We've improved supportive treatment (ventilatory care, dialysis modes, etc.) but nothing that fundamentally alters the pathophysiology.
Lou D'Amelio
Bucks County PA
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