High Viral Load In Lungs Drives Fatal COVID-19: Study

A high amount of coronavirus in the lungs is a major contributor to death in COVID-19 patients, new research shows.

The findings challenge previous theories that simultaneous infections such as pneumonia or an overreaction of the body’s immune system are significant factors in COVID-19 deaths, the researchers noted.

To come to that conclusion, the investigators analyzed bacterial and fungal samples from the lungs of 589 hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were severely ill and required mechanical ventilation.

On average, patients who died had 10 times the amount of virus in their lower airways than those who survived their illness.

“Our findings suggest that the body’s failure to cope with the large numbers of virus infecting the lungs is largely responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the pandemic,” said lead study author Dr. Imran Sulaiman, an adjunct professor in NYU Langone Health’s department of medicine.

Read more at NEWSMAX.

{Matzav.com}