The majority of deaths from COVID-19 may be due to secondary bacterial infections rather than cytokine storms. Reported by Northwestern University.
A cytokine storm is a life-threatening reaction of the human immune system associated with excessive division and activity of T cells. As a result, the affected organ becomes much more inflamed, and gradually the reaction can affect the entire body.
A secondary bacterial lung infection (pneumonia) was quite common among COVID-19 patients, affecting almost half of patients requiring mechanical ventilation. By applying a machine learning algorithm to medical records, the researchers found that secondary bacterial pneumonia is a major cause of death in COVID-19 patients. This factor can even exceed the mortality rate from the viral infection itself.
in the study analyzed In the intensive care unit of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, there are 585 patients with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure, 190 of them with COVID-19. The new CarpeDiem algorithm allows the integration of data from medical records and daily tours of the intensive care team. Artificial intelligence then uncovers patterns in the course of the disease.
According to the authors, this illustrates the need for prevention and targeted treatment of secondary pneumonia.
ancient scientists clarified a new type of activity in the brain of a dying person.