Coronavirus attacks and damages lungs the same way SARS, MERS did, autopsy shows
The new coronavirus attacks and damages the lungs like other related viruses such as SARS and MERS, according to an autopsy report of a patient who died from the new coronavirus disease or COVID-19.
The study documents the case history of a 50-year-old man, who showed symptoms of fever, chills, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath during his visit to the clinic on January 21, 2020. He died six days later after various medications failed to keep him alive.
Because doctors barely have access to autopsies or biopsies of the virus' victims, they do not fully understand how the virus attacks the lungs. This new study aims to fill that gap and help doctors treat patients.
Currently, the death toll has touched 2,000, with all but six deaths in mainland China. The virus has infected 75,000 across the globe. Studies have revealed that the new coronavirus is closely related to the SARS virus which killed 774 people in 2002-2003.
The 50-year-old man traveled to Wuhan between January 8 and 12. Two days later he began showing mild symptoms, including mild chills and dry cough. He tested positive for the virus a day after seeking medical help on January 21.
"He was immediately admitted to the isolation ward and received supplemental oxygen through a face mask," writes the research team.
COVID-29 has no cure yet. So doctors tried different treatments on him: interferon alfa-2b that treat viral infections, HIV drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir and antibiotic named moxifloxacin that prevents a second bacterial infection. These medications brought his body temperature down to 36·4 °C from 39·0. However, his other symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and fatigue showed no signs of improvement.
His health began spiraling out of control: he developed more complications, including a sudden cardiac arrest. "He was immediately given invasive ventilation, chest compression, and adrenaline injection. Unfortunately, the rescue was not successful and he died at 18:31 (Beijing time)," write researchers.
After he died, doctors examined the patient's lung, heart, and kidney. They saw that the damage caused by COVID-19 greatly resemble those seen in SARS and MERS coronavirus infection. When the team examined his liver, they saw an accumulation of fat and inflammation, indicating the injury could have been caused by either COVID-19 or drug-induced liver injury.
Based on the examination, the team suggests that corticosteroids --drugs that reduce inflammation -- could help. Although corticosteroid treatment is not routinely recommended, inflammation in the lungs suggests that "timely and appropriate use of corticosteroids together with ventilator support should be considered for the severe patients" to
prevent a fatal respiratory failure condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), they say.
The study has been published in Lancet.