Due to the overwhelming number of coronavirus infections, hospitals and medical centers could only receive patients with severe cases. Months later, doctors aren't quite sure why more patients today can recover from severe coronavirus.
At first, experts categorized SARS-CoV-2 as a respiratory illness similar to previous coronaviruses. However, doctors soon observed how the virus could cause damage to other major organs as well.
Dr. Eddy Fan from Toronto University said that his colleagues all over the world dealing with more cases than his hospital suggest that the mortality rate is lower. For instance, a national cohort study in England between March and June determined that out of over 21,000 hospitalized patients, more than 50% survived after 30 days. By June, the survival rate of patients sent to intensive-care units increased to 80%. Moreover, the death rate of 26% in March dropped to 8% by August.
Comparing the First and Second Wave of Hospitalizations
During the second wave of coronavirus, patients sent to the ICU were generally younger than the initial cases in spring. Another study from New York wrote that the average age of Covid-19 patients in the ICU was 63. In August, the average age was lower to 49 years old.
Most likely, the decrease in mortality rate is a combination of factors more available research on the virus, the use of anti-inflammatory medication, and plasma donated by survivors. One other potential factor is that newer cases may have a lower viral load due to public safety measures such as wearing masks and physical distancing.
A study led by Dr. Donald Griesdale in late June reported that between February and April, 117 patients were admitted to the ICE with an average age of 69. By April, wrote the researchers, Canada had nearly 35,000 confirmed cases and over 1,600 deaths. Since then, the number of new cases has decreased.
Grizedale said that the mortality rate being lower during the second wave was consistent with the reports of doctors all over Canada. Moreover, the patients receiving intensive care had a shorter hospital stay and the chances of survival after ventilation treatment.
Improved Treatments and Studies
One of the effective treatments that contributed to fewer deaths was administering low doses of steroids, cutting the death count up to 12% according to Dr. Derek Angus. "All things being equal, patients have a better chance of getting out alive," he said after seeing the data from his hospital's statistics team.
Understanding the complexities of coronavirus has also improved in the past few months. For example, doctors have determined which drug therapies, such as the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, may not be effective or cause harm, explained Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud. "We're becoming more vigilant for some of the complications of COVID, particularly the blood clotting, which is a huge issue."
Despite these improvements, many hospitals are at their "tipping point." Medical frontliners are exhausted and burned out while new cases are still being reported daily. One of the general trends, reported by doctors, are clusters of family members spreading infection during gatherings where people don't wear masks. At the moment, further research is needed to determine how and why patients are recovering better than at the beginning of the pandemic.
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