As the number of worldwide confirmed coronavirus cases climbs towards 1 million, the number of recoveries is thankfully more than four times the death toll. But medical experts told FRANCE 24 that COVID-19 can cause severe long-term damage to the lungs, heart, brain and other organs – and that for some patients, these complications may be permanent.

Out of more than 950,000 cases of coronavirus so far across the globe, over 202,000 people have recovered, while more than 48,000 have died. However, clinicians have pointed out that some COVID-19 survivors have developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) – a severe condition that, for the worst-affected patients, can last for the rest of their lives.

The doyen of medical journals, The Lancet, was one of the first to sound the alarm, publishing a report in February showing that 29 percent of a group of patients in Wuhan whom the researchers tracked between mid-December and early January had got ARDS.

A similar report by the British Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, published in The Sunday Times on March 15, found that some 17 percent of intensive care patients whose treatments they analysed developed the syndrome. In addition, a few days before the British doctors released their findings, medical researchers in Hong Kong found that, out of a small study of 12 patients who left hospital after recovering from the coronavirus, two or three had diminished lung function.

‘The damage you can have is for a lifetime’

The coronavirus has been treated “as though it’s life and death – if you have the right medical care you can survive – but some survivors are having issues that are lingering”, noted Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. “Because of how serious the ARDS is, the damage that you can have for that is for a lifetime.”

“Large numbers of ARDS survivors are not able to go back to work,” added Onjen Gajic, a critical care specialist at the Pulmonary Medical Department of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

>> How long will coronavirus lockdowns last?

ARDS is not a new phenomenon – it was first described in 1967. Common causes include pneumonia, sepsis and serious influenza cases. Symptoms include extreme shortness of breath, and feelings of exhaustion and confusion. As well as the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, it can damage other vital organs by preventing the lungs from supplying them with sufficient oxygen.

With coronavirus, patients can suffer from “inflammation and the build-up of fluid in a significant portion of their lungs, which limits their ability to get enough oxygen into their blood to support normal organ function”, explained Julie Fischer, an associate research professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University.

“The most severely ill patients require mechanical ventilation to keep their tissues supplied with oxygen until the inflammation subsides,” Fischer continued. “Both the inflammation and the mechanical ventilation required to help patients survive can damage the delicate tissues of the lung that are involved in oxygen transfer, which may affect the function of the lungs even after recovery from acute COVID-19 disease.”

‘Survival is just the beginning’

In serious cases of COVID-19, “the associated viral pneumonia progresses to ARDS more often than in influenza”, Gajic observed.

Over the medium- and long-terms “the decline in lung function itself is less pronounced than other consequences” for ARDS sufferers, Gajic continued. The most serious of these ramifications are a “decline in physical and functional status, changes in cognitive function and psychological effects”, he said.

A significant amount of the damage outside the lungs is a side-effect of necessary but invasive treatments in intensive care, explained Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: “The challenge in critical care is that the two organs we put a lot of emphasis on are the heart and lungs, and when we put so much strategy into trying to protect them we know that’s going to come as a consequence for other organ systems.

“Kidneys for instance, begin to self-destruct, so it’s common that patients on medical ventilators for ARDS require dialysis – and flooding the brain with medications to provoke a medically induced coma will cause some level of delirium that’s going to be hard to undo,” he continued.

Galiatsatos agreed with Goldman that for some survivors, the effects of ARDS caused by the coronavirus may never go away: “Some patients will recover within three months, but for others it can be a lifetime.”

He said that the severity and duration of these complications will depend on three factors. Firstly, “how good your lungs are to begin with; if you’ve got good lungs and have breathed good air your entire life, you’re in a better position to recover quickly”. Secondly, “how bad the ARDS was”. Thirdly, given that breathing machines themselves can cause lung damage, “whether you needed a medical ventilator”.

“Survival is just the beginning of the journey for an individual,” Galiatsatos emphasised. “The more that we recognise that this is going to be the next chapter of the pandemic, the better.”

Culled from France 24

Confirmed coronavirus infections around the world approached one million Thursday as the pandemic spread at a “near-exponential” rate, with a six-week-old baby becoming one of the youngest known victims.

Half the planet is under some form of lockdown as governments struggle to tamp down a virus that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Those restrictions — while necessary for health — risk causing global food shortages, experts have warned, as supply chains gum up and panic buying sparks export controls.

The death toll from COVID-19 continued its relentless march upwards, with more than 46,000 people known to have died worldwide.

The United States, which now accounts for almost a quarter of reported global infections, logged its 5,000th death overnight, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

And, said President Donald Trump, things were going to get worse.

“We’re going to have a couple of weeks, starting pretty much now, but especially a few days from now, that are going to be horrific,” he said.

“But even in the most challenging of times, Americans do not despair. We do not give in to fear.”

Among the latest US fatalities was a six-week-old baby who was taken to a Connecticut hospital late last week.

“Testing confirmed last night that the newborn was COVID-19 positive,” the state’s Governor Ned Lamont tweeted. “This is absolutely heartbreaking.”

The new coronavirus has chiefly affected the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, but a number of recent cases have highlighted that it can affect people from all walks of life.

The dead have included a 13-year-old in France, a 12-year-old in Belgium and 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdullah in Britain, whose family said the “gentle and kind” boy had no underlying health issues.

World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the disease’s rapid spread was alarming.

“Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new cases, reaching almost every country,” he said.

“The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths.”

– Spanish peak? –

Britain and France both reported their highest daily death tolls from COVID-19 on Wednesday, although there were signs the epidemic could be peaking in Europe.

Italy’s toll — the highest in the world — climbed past 13,000, while Spain surpassed 9,000.

But epidemiologists said the infection rate was continuing to slow.

Fernando Simon, head of Spain’s health ministry’s emergency coordination unit, said it appeared the country may have passed the peak.

The US is rapidly becoming the worst hit country, with its total number of infections rising above 215,000.

More than three-quarters of Americans are under lockdown, including tens of thousands of prisoners, who were told Wednesday they would be confined to their cells for two weeks.

Officials also shuttered the Grand Canyon to prevent tourists gathering there and New York announced that basketball courts would be closed as the city grapples with sky-rocketing infections and a severely strained health system.

America’s unwanted title as most-infected country was questioned Wednesday by a Bloomberg report, which cited US intelligence as saying China’s infection rate was far worse than officially acknowledged.

China says it has around 81,000 infections, and 3,300 deaths.

Republicans, many of whom are naturally skeptical of Beijing, attacked China’s numbers as “garbage propaganda”.

“Without commenting on any classified information, this much is painfully obvious: The Chinese Communist Party has lied, is lying, and will continue to lie about coronavirus to protect the regime,” Senator Ben Sasse said.

– Sporting victim –

Having already caused the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to be postponed for a year, the pandemic on Wednesday claimed its latest sporting victim as the Wimbledon tennis tournament was shelved.

The cancellation of the world’s oldest Grand Slam tournament — for the first time since World War II — leaves the season in disarray, with no tennis set to be played until mid-July.

Roger Federer proclaimed himself “devastated” by the news, while Serena Williams said: “I’m shooked”.

But the loss of sporting events in the developed world paled in comparison with the hardships imposed on those in poorer parts of the globe, where lockdowns were threatening whole communities.

Dwellers of South Africa’s townships say it is simply impossible to stay at home.

“We don’t have toilets… we don’t have water, so you must go out,” said Irene Tsetse, 55, who shares a one-bedroom shack in Khayelitsha township with her son.

The macroeconomic impacts of such measures could be far-reaching, experts warned.

The Food and Agriculture Organization, WHO and World Trade Organization said panic buying could threaten food supplies.

“Uncertainty about food availability can spark a wave of export restrictions, creating a shortage on the global market,” they said.

Source: AFP

Spain and the United Kingdom have recorded their biggest one-day death tolls from the novel coronavirus, which has so far infected over 900,000 people across the world.

Spain on Wednesday recorded its highest daily death toll – another 864 people – while infections jumped to 102,136, up from 94,417.

The country, which has the second highest number of COVID-19 fatalities after Italy, has imposed a lockdown that brings economic activity to a virtual standstill.

The UK’s death toll also rose by 563 in 24 hours, a record jump that brought the number of patients who died in hospital to 2,352, the country’s Health Ministry announced.

The death toll in the United States has also exceeded 4,000 and the number of confirmed cases surpassed 200,000.

Also in Germany, the social distancing measures were extended through the end of the Easter holiday break (at least April 19), Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday following a call with state leaders.

“A pandemic doesn’t take a vacation,” Merkel said announcing the decision. The restrictions were initially due to end on April 5.

The decision was made shortly after the country confirmed 5,453 new cases, including 149 deaths. The figures increased Germany’s death toll to 909 and total cases to 77,558, according to the data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Right now, at least 926,095 people have been infected by the deadly virus across the world, out of whom 46,252 have died, and 193,031 have recovered.

On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the coronavirus outbreak as the worst global crisis since World War II, warning that it could trigger conflicts around the world.

He said that the large magnitude of the crisis was due to “a disease that represents a threat to everybody in the world and… an economic impact that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past.”

“A stronger and more effective response… is only possible in solidarity if everybody comes together and if we forget political games and understand that it is humankind that is at stake,” Guterres said.

Source: Presstv

A group of fake chloroquine manufacturers has been caught in the West regional headquarters of Bafoussam in Cameroon by the country’s forces of law and order.

The group, which wants to cash in on the desperation of the population, got to work once there were rumors that Chloroquine could help in the curing of people affected by the deadly Coronavirus.

As Chloroquine gets tested in the Western world, Cameroon’s fake drug manufacturers have decided to make hay while the sun shines by setting up shops and establishing marketing networks for their illegally produced medications.

The Coronavirus is spreading death and destruction across the world and anything that can bring some hope and reduce fear is very much welcome, especially in a third world country like Cameroon which lacks state-of-the-art laboratories and world-class law enforcement agents who can discourage irresponsible behavior.

With the dismantling of this group of dangerous crooks who are passing off as chemists and pharmacists, ordinary citizens in Cameroon must understand that the only place wherein they can get genuine medication remains government approved pharmacies and the medication should be consumed only when prescribed by a certified medical practitioner.

Currently, the insidious Coronavirus is rolling into many Cameroonian cities and town and many Cameroonians do not know where to turn to when it comes to obtaining medication.

So far, there is no definitive cure for the Coronavirus pandemic. Preventive measures remain the only steps that can help any society to check the spread of the pandemic.

National governments and the World Health Organization have issued guidelines which must be strictly followed by every citizen if the virus has to be booted out of this beautiful planet.

Rita Akana and edited by Dr Joachim Arrey

Cameroon has registered 51 new infections of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 193, Cameroonian Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie said in a tweet Tuesday morning.

According to the minister, these 51 new cases were diagnosed out of a total of 94 travelers quarantined in hotels in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital. Twenty-four of them have tested negative, while 19 have a questionable result and will need to be tested again.

This is a new record of daily growth in the number of infections in Cameroon after 40 new cases were reported on a single day last Sunday.

Cameroon is now one of the countries most affected by COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa. The country currently has 193 confirmed cases, including six deaths and “a dozen” of cured, according to the health minister.

Most of the cases are in Yaounde and Douala, the country’s economic hub. Western city of Bafoussam and southwestern city of Limbe also have a few patients.

Source: Xinhuanet

The country’s coronavirus cases officially stand at 91. The situation is concerning as things are spiraling out of control. The government has taken a few good measures, but they are unfortunately ineffective.

The government wants to recruit over 500 health workers to combat the Coronavirus which is spreading at an alarming rate.

Cameroonians are still converging on public places and public transport means cannot really be controlled.

The nature of the country’s economy is also an additional headache. The informal sector is bigger than the formal sector and this implies more people hustle to make ends meet.

They are therefore flouting government Coronavirus rules, as they live from hand to mouth.

Meanwhile, the country’s opposition leader, Prof. Maurice Kamto, is challenging the country’s president, Paul Biya, to address the nation as COVID-19 threatens to ruin the economy and send thousands to an early grave.

Early this week, it was rumored that the country’s president had died since he had not been seen in public ever since the Coronavirus showed up on the country’s shores.

The country’s communications minister, Rene Sadi, held a press conference on Friday wherein he informed the public that the president was alive and healthy.

He added that Mr. Biya was closely monitoring the evolution of the virus in the country, but critics still feel that the government is hiding something and many are calling on Mr. Biya to address the nation.

Also, business will resume tomorrow in the Douala II markets after a shutdown on Friday due to a massive disinfection by City Hall.

Similarly,   a medical team has been dispatched from Yaoundé to screen over 200 passengers in Douala. This is to help check the spread of the insidious virus.

Also, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the government of Cameroon to decongest prisons as a move to check the spread of the virus.

Cameroon’s prisons are noted for their congestion and it is feared that if the virus makes its way to the prisons, the prison population will be rapidly decimated as Cameroon has not got the resources to deal with such a disaster.

By Rita Akana with additional reporting and editing from Dr Joachim Arrey

Mainland China reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus case in three days and 54 new imported cases, as Beijing ordered airlines to sharply cut international flights fearing travellers could reignite the coronavirus outbreak.

The 55 new cases reported on Thursday was down from 67 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said in a statement on Friday. There are now 81,340 confirmed cases in mainland China.

The death toll stands at 3,292 with five new deaths.

Imported coronavirus cases, mostly Chinese nationals returning home, now pose the biggest concern for authorities.

Shanghai reported the most new imported cases with 17, followed by 12 in Guangdong and four each in capital Beijing and nearby Tianjin.

Hubei province, a region of some 60 million people where the virus first appeared late last year, reported zero new cases on Thursday – a day after lifting a lockdown and reopening its borders as the epidemic there eased.

China on Thursday ordered local airlines to maintain only one route to any country and limit flights per such routes to one per week, effective March 29. Foreign airlines have also been ordered to cut routes to China to one and limit flights to one per week, although many had already stopped flying to China.

China will temporarily suspend the entry of foreigners with valid Chinese visas and residence permits starting on March 28, as an interim measure, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

(REUTERS)

Singaporeans could be jailed for up to six months if they intentionally stand close to someone else, under tough new rules announced Friday to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

The city-state has introduced a series of new measures to tackle the virus, including closing bars and cinemas as well as banning large events.

One step aimed at ensuring “social-distancing” — a key approach being used worldwide to halt the spread of the contagious disease — is a ban on individuals standing less than one metre (three feet) apart in certain settings.

People are barred from intentionally standing too close to someone else in a queue, or sitting on a seat less than one metre from another individual in a public place, according to the regulations.

Those found guilty of breaking the rules face a jail term of up to six months and a maximum fine of Sg$10,000 (US$7,000).

Business owners are also required to take steps such as putting seats not fixed to the ground at least one metre apart, and making sure that people keep their distance when queueing.

They face the same punishments if found to have broken the rules.

Singapore, known for having a low crime rate and a tough approach to law and order, introduced stricter curbs after a spike in infections being brought in from overseas.

The health ministry said earlier this week that “we must implement tighter safe distancing measures now to minimise activities and exposure”.

The city-state has reported 683 virus infections and two deaths, but has won praise for its approach and has so far avoided going into a total lockdown.

The rapidly spreading pandemic has infected over half a million people worldwide and killed more than 23,000.

Source: AFP

France on Tuesday reported a daily coronavirus death toll rise of 240, taking the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 1,100, according to health officials. The increase makes France the fifth country to cross the 1,000 death toll mark since the epidemic originated in China late last year.

France now has 22,300 confirmed coronavirus cases, including an increase of 2,444 in the past 24 hours, said the country’s Director General of Health, Jerome Salomon, at a press briefing Tuesday.

Across the country, 10,176 people were hospitalised for coronavirus, including 2,516 in a serious condition, said Salomon.

Tuesday’s death toll rise made France the fifth country to exceed a grim 1,000 fatalities milestone after Italy, China, Spain and Iran.

The spike in coronavirus cases and deaths came after the country’s scientific council, which advises French President Emmanuel Macron on the coronavirus crisis, said a lockdown to contain the epidemic should last a total of six weeks since it was put in place.

France has been under a strict lockdown since March 17, when Macron announced restrictive measures, including fines for people violating the rules. The lockdown was initially expected to last 15 days.

In its statement, France’s scientific council said the lockdown was at present the only really efficient strategy.

The council also said it was “necessary to strengthen” the containment measures without providing details.

Responding to the council’s lockdown recommendations, French Health Minister Olivier Véran said it was not possible to put a clear time frame just yet. “The members of the scientific council aren’t able to say with precision if the confinement should be for such a set duration. They said, may be we need to prepare for the confinement to last longer. Beyond 15 days we know, but perhaps it could extend past that – another five or six weeks,” he said. “It will only end when the epidemic curve allows it, this is the basic principle. Confinement has a purpose, to protect the French people. It will last as long as it has to last.”

‘Only truly operational strategy’

Noting that three weeks were needed to obtain an initial estimate of the impact of the lockdown, the council said, “Containment is currently the only truly operational strategy, as the alternative policy of large-scale screenings and isolation of those detected is not currently feasible on a national scale.”

A decision to end the lockdown “could be taken on the basis of epidemiological indicators. in particular the saturation of hospital services and especially of intensive care units”. The government will also have to ensure that the elements of a post-confinement strategy are operational, the council added.

‘Full transparency’ on medical equipment

Members of the council also issued an “alert” on “the real or perceived shortage of various types of equipment, starting with essential health protection equipment”.

They recommended that the government “should provide full transparency and clarity” to answer questions from hospitals and health care providers about existing stocks and how services will be supplied.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)

Cameroon on Tuesday confirmed the first death in the country due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) as more new cases of the pandemic were also reported.

The Minister for Public Health Manaouda Malachie said the victim is a Cameroonian who returned from Italy on March 7 “already very affected by the disease”.

There were no further details, including name, age and sex of the patient.

CONFIRMED CASES

The government said there were 66 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 pandemic in the central African country by Tuesday, an increase from 56 the previous day.

Source: Daily Nation