Question

With all our discussion on COVID-19, I only consider appropriate to share this article (Links to an external site.). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2). Cases can progress to pneumonia and multi-organ failure. After discussing the anatomy and physiology of the mammalian respiratory organs, explain why there is currently a national health emergency in terms of the effect it can have on the health of individuals.  

Answer 1

The coronavirus, officially called Sars-CoV-2, can invade your body when you breathe it in (after someone coughs nearby) or you touch a contaminated surface and then your face. It first infects the cells lining your throat, airways, and lungs and turns them into "coronavirus factories" that spew out huge numbers of new viruses that go on to infect yet more cells. Body aches, sore throat, and a headache are all possible, but not guaranteed.

The fever, and generally feeling grotty, is a result of your immune system responding to the infection. It has recognized the virus as a hostile invader and signals to the rest of the body something is wrong by releasing chemicals called cytokines.

These rallies the immune system, but also cause body aches, pain, and fever.

The coronavirus cough is initially a dry one (you're not bringing stuff up) and this is probably down to irritation of cells as they become infected by the virus.

Some people will eventually start coughing up sputum - a thick mucus containing dead lung cells killed by the virus.

All these effects lead to serious effects on health and it can also spreads through infected individulas. That's why it's a national emergency.