New study details what nCoV does to human body

A new scientific paper published on Thursday by the Lancet Medical Journal shone a light on the effects of the novel coronavirus in the human body, based on the experiences of 99 Chinese nCoV-stricken patients.

These effects include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle ache, confusion, headache, sore throat, rhinorrhea, chest pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

The study also found that the nCoV is more likely to affect old adult males with comorbidities or two simultaneous chronic diseases, and this can result in fatal respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The study, which sought to clarify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the nCoV, was conducted in Jinyintian Hospital, Wuhan, from January 1 to January 25, 2020.

The scientists behind the study recorded the symptoms that the patients had, upon admission to the hospital. They also conducted follow-ups with the nCoV-diagnosed patients.

"Fifty patients had chronic diseases. Patients had clinical manifestations of fever (82 patients), cough (81 patients), shortness of breath (31 patients), muscle ache (11 patients), confusion (nine patients), headache (eight patients), sore throat (five patients), rhinorrhoea (four patients), chest pain (two patients), diarrhea (two patients), and nausea and vomiting (one patient)," the study found.

In addition, the study found that there were 89 patients who manifested more than one symptom. There were 15 patients who also experienced a combination of fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Study results also showed that 74 patients had bilateral pneumonia, 14 patients showed multiple mottling and ground-glass opacity while one patient had a pneumothorax.

"Seven (17%) patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and, among them, 11 (11%) patients worsened in a short period of time and died of multiple organ failure," the study said.

The first two patients who died were both males about 60 years of age. Both showed no previous chronic underlying disease, but they were diagnosed with severe pneumonia and ARDS.

The first patient experienced sudden cardiac arrest, after developing severe respiratory failure, heart failure, and sepsis on the 11th day of admission.

The second patient died of severe pneumonia, septic shock, and respiratory failure.

The newly-published study concluded that the 2019-nCoV is more likely to affect males with comorbidities.

The study emphasized that a huge number of patients had a history of exposure to the Huanan seafood market

"Of the 99 patients with 2019-nCoV pneumonia, 49 (49%) had a history of exposure to the Huanan seafood market. The average age of the patients was 55.5 years including 67 men and 32 women," it said.

"The 2019-nCoV infection was of clustering onset, is more likely to affect older males with comorbidities, and can result in severe and even fatal respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome," the study added. — MDM, GMA News