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Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

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131–140 of 197 posts

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#131
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so if it impedes red blood cells does this mean my gout is helping me out?

Could you explain the gout - bloodcell - lung damage connection to a non clinician? (me)

well actually it's only some sorts of gout, caused by Polycythemia Vera https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/polycythemia-vera/ "Gout and kidney stone associated with polycythemia vera occur due to the high turnover of red blood cells, which results in higher-than-normal uric acid production." So it overproduces red blood cells, and the parent comment said there was a theory covid-19 was causing a decrease in red blood cell production so I conjured the amusing scenario in my head of the two diseases fighting each other.

An amusing, non-serious, scenario.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#132

is this 1 in 5 in people who are otherwise asymptomatic as well? I guess not, or we would be seeing a lot more dead but I wonder if there are any heart attacks occurring in otherwise asymptomatic people and not being marked down as Covid-19 related.

The early claim of "1 in 5 people" is a lie. Further along they clarify that it is 1 in 5 people who are hospitalized. And they say about half die. Put this together with the real world mortality statistics, and it makes me want to see some rigorous peer review before I get worried.

right, I can't help but think, given the state medical systems worldwide are in right now a rise in heart attacks might go unnoticed. Like if it were .1% of asymptomatics get a heart attack it could be some time before it popped up on someone's radar. But probably that is my natural paranoia.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#133
post #130

So, I've been battling this bug for the last three weeks or so, probably caught it on the way back from my last job in Finland. I expected an empty plane instead it was packed like it was the last train out of San Fernando and everybody was scared there never would be another one. After a week or so symptoms started in spite of having self-isolated already after the flight, so that's why I figure that is where I caug…

Is avoiding this bug a realistic goal for most of us? It simply won't be feasible to keep people locked down until a safe and effective vaccine is available (at least 18 months, maybe longer). Transmission is still going on due to essential activities, and voluntary compliance is going to get gradually worse. So the reality is that something like 70% of us will be infected before herd immunity causes infections to bu…

Consider the odds conditional on: trying not to get it. Probably better than 30% if you’re not in a group that has to work outside the home.

Maybe 50-60% odds of avoiding? Still high odds of getting it, but not so high that it’s inevitable.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#134
post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hospitalization rates for people aged 20-44 are in the range of 15% to 20%. You might want to read up on the experience of COVID-19 hospitalization before you decide that there's little risk from infection. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105402/covid-hospitaliz...

That is percentage of confirmed cases that wind up with hospitalization. However we mostly don't try to confirm cases if it won't affect the care we give. We just tell them to self-isolate. We therefore will not have good statistics on what percentage of cases are confirmed until after the immediate crisis is over and we test to see how many have antibodies. So your figure is, "Of young people who have it severely en…

[deleted]

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#135

So, I've been battling this bug for the last three weeks or so, probably caught it on the way back from my last job in Finland. I expected an empty plane instead it was packed like it was the last train out of San Fernando and everybody was scared there never would be another one. After a week or so symptoms started in spite of having self-isolated already after the flight, so that's why I figure that is where I caug…

I totally agree with your "wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy" - this is probably the worst pneumonia-flu-like sickness I went (still going?) through. I am now convinced that if I will catch it (or some mutated off-spring of this) again, I might not make it.

Looks like I got it too about 3 or 4 weeks ago. No cough, no fewer, just a growing chest pain. Went to doctor back then, he prescribed antibiotics against pneumonia, and send me home. Thing that really scared me was (is) constant mild trouble breathing. It is hard to walk any distance and you have to catch wind after walking upstairs - never happened to me before. As you described "ups" and "downs" - you kind of feel ok for a day or so, and then boom, feeling like walking dead again. Worst part (to me) is that I cannot for the life of me (no pun intended) to explain this to my SO - she thinks once you got sick and got better, everything else is bs and "you just don't want to leave the house" etc. Better is forever, right?

I would like to wish you (and all of us) best of luck and as much recovery as you can get. Take care.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#136

So, I've been battling this bug for the last three weeks or so, probably caught it on the way back from my last job in Finland. I expected an empty plane instead it was packed like it was the last train out of San Fernando and everybody was scared there never would be another one. After a week or so symptoms started in spite of having self-isolated already after the flight, so that's why I figure that is where I caug…

Get well soon Jacques!

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#137
post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hospitalization rates for people aged 20-44 are in the range of 15% to 20%. You might want to read up on the experience of COVID-19 hospitalization before you decide that there's little risk from infection. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105402/covid-hospitaliz...

That is percentage of confirmed cases that wind up with hospitalization. However we mostly don't try to confirm cases if it won't affect the care we give. We just tell them to self-isolate. We therefore will not have good statistics on what percentage of cases are confirmed until after the immediate crisis is over and we test to see how many have antibodies. So your figure is, "Of young people who have it severely en…

All good points. But paulsutter's message remains: young people are at significant risk. Yes, the risk for older people and those with pre-existing conditions in higher. But the parent poster's characterization of the risk for young people as "very little" is dangerous.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#138
post #33

There's so much blind speculation in this comment section. The kind that's intriguing and fun when it's about engineering/math/whatever, but dangerous when it's about the health effects of an ongoing pandemic. I hope moderators do something about it.

Arguably there's a lot of blind speculation on HN about engineering/math/whatever as well, some of it quite dangerous. That's the price we pay for open discourse.

That danger is contingent on credulous readers being in position to act on the misinformation. When people here speculate about an airliner's flight envelope, misled readers generally aren't going to go crash 737s.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#139
post #133
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is avoiding this bug a realistic goal for most of us? It simply won't be feasible to keep people locked down until a safe and effective vaccine is available (at least 18 months, maybe longer). Transmission is still going on due to essential activities, and voluntary compliance is going to get gradually worse. So the reality is that something like 70% of us will be infected before herd immunity causes infections to bu…

Consider the odds conditional on: trying not to get it. Probably better than 30% if you’re not in a group that has to work outside the home. Maybe 50-60% odds of avoiding? Still high odds of getting it, but not so high that it’s inevitable.

I don't think you have any real scientific basis for those numbers. I doubt most people can reduce their risk of infection to 50% unless they take extreme and unsustainable steps. Please state your assumptions and show your math.

Re: Mysterious heart damage, not just lung troubles, befalling Covid-19 patients

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on all the YouTube videos by doctors I've watched, heart failure is a known, expected and quite common consequence of severe respiratory disease.

I would find a better authority than 'youtube doctors' for the health of anyone you love. Some are great, but all are in it for attention. The ultimate motives of many online attenion seekers, no matter their profession are, lets say, unclear.

I would not describe teachers or those who post on HN as "in it for attention". Though I have not posted on youtube, I see no reason to describe those who have as attention seekers.
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