It appears that the new coronavirus, "Corona Emerging" (Covid 19), affects some people more than others, as they only have mild symptoms, while others are hospitalized and they use artificial respirators. Although scientists initially believed that age is the dominant factor, as young people survive the worst complications, new research has revealed a set of factors, which affect the severity of the disease. These effects can explain why some healthy young adults were completely in a difficult position after they fell ill, while elderly patients did not need critical interventions.
Here are the seven factors:
In the United States, about 8 out of 10 “Coved 19” deaths have occurred in the United States, older adults age 65 and older, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risk of death from infection, and the possibility of hospitalization or intensive medical care, increases dramatically with age. For example, adults between the ages of 65 and 84 make up an estimated 4 to 11% of corona deaths, in the United States, while older women ages 85 and older make up 10 to 27%.
This trend may be partly due to the fact that many elderly people suffer from chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, which can exacerbate symptoms of "Covid 19", according to the CDC. According to "State News", the ability of the immune system to fight pathogens decreases with age, which makes the elderly vulnerable to severe viral infection.
2- Diabetes
It seems that diabetes, which is a group of diseases that lead to high levels of sugar in the blood, is also linked to the risk of infection, "Corona", the most severe.
The most common form in the United States is type 2 diabetes, which occurs when body cells do not respond to the hormone insulin. After reviewing 13 related studies, scientists found that people with diabetes were 3.7 times more likely to be exposed to a "Covid 19" critical condition, or die from illness, compared to non-critical HIV patients (including diabetes and hypertension). Blood pressure, heart disease or respiratory disease).
However, scientists do not know whether diabetes directly increases the severity of "Covid 19", or whether other health conditions that appear to be associated with diabetes, including cardiovascular and kidney diseases, are the cause.
3- Heart diseases and high blood pressure
People who have cardiovascular conditions, such as heart disease and high blood pressure, generally have worse complications when they have "Covid 19", compared to those who do not have preexisting conditions, according to the American Heart Association. However, healthy people can also experience heart damage due to a viral infection.
A scientific study reported that the first reported death of a coronavirus, in the United States, for example, occurred when the virus damaged, in one way or another, a woman's heart muscle, which eventually led to her rupture. The 57-year-old woman was in good health and exercising regularly before she became infected, and was reported to have had a healthy heart, normal size and weight. A study of Corona patients in Wuhan found that more than 1 out of 5 patients had heart damage, and some patients whose samples were taken had severe heart conditions, while others had not.
4- Smoking
Cigarette smoke can make the body susceptible to coronavirus infection in several ways, according to a recent medical report. Basically, smokers may be susceptible to viral infection, because exposure to smoke suppresses the immune system, over time, damages the tissues of the respiratory system and causes chronic inflammation. Smoking is also associated with many conditions, such as emphysema and atherosclerosis, which may exacerbate the symptoms of "Covid 19".
A recent study relied on an expanded database on the cause of severe "Covid 19" infection in smokers.
But scientists do not know whether the increase in ACE2 receptors, due to smoking, translates directly to the worst symptoms of "corona". It is also not known whether high ACE2 levels are relatively unique in smokers, or common among people with chronic lung disease.
5- Obesity
Numerous early studies have indicated a link between obesity and "Covid 19" disease. One study, which analyzed data for a group of Corona patients, under the age of 60, in New York City, found that those who were obese were more likely to be affected, twice as likely as non-obese people; and more were introduced to critical care Compared to others.
A preliminary study in Chinese "Shenzhen", which has not been reviewed by Western scientists, found that "Covid 19" patients with obesity more than doubled their risk of developing acute pneumonia, compared to patients whose weight was normal.
6- Blood group
The blood group appears to be an indication of a person's susceptibility to the emerging corona virus, although scientists have not found a link between the blood group itself and the severity of the disease.
It remains unknown if the blood type increases or reduces the risk of a person having "Covid 19". A person's blood type refers to the specific type of antigen (that is, antigens) that cover the surface of blood cells. These antigens produce specific antibodies to help fight pathogens.
Previous research has found that at least in SARS, the A antibody has helped inhibit the virus; this same mechanism could be with Covid 19, and blood type o helps people prevent the virus, according to a team of Chinese researchers.
6- Genetics
Scientists say that some genetic factors may make some people particularly vulnerable to disease, and many research groups aim to locate where these vulnerabilities exist in our genetic code.
Science magazine reported that genes that direct cells to build ACE2 receptors may differ between people who are highly infected and those who show no symptoms at all. Differences may lie in the genes that help mobilize the immune system against pathogens.
For example, a study, published in April, in the journal "Virology", indicates that certain combinations of the genes of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) that train immune cells to identify germs, may be protective against Covid 19, while Other combinations leave the body vulnerable to attack.
However, these antigens are only one shield in our immune system, so their relative impact on Corona infection remains unclear. In addition, a study of the Journal of Bacteriology used computer models to simulate HLA activity against coronavirus. Clinical and genetic data from HIV patients will be needed to clarify the role of these antigens in immune responses.