Why Are Some Young, Healthy People Getting Severe COVID-19?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Most young people who get COVID-19 get pretty nasty flu-like symptoms but fight off the infection on their own with bed rest and over-the-counter pain medication. Some, though, have a severe, even deadly, case. Why is it that someone who seems healthy and has no underlying conditions could be killed by this virus when so many of their peers pull through just fine? Let’s break down what we know and what research is needed to answer this COVID-19 mystery.

What we know

Our understanding of why some people get mild infections while others wind up hospitalized or killed by COVID-19 is still limited. In the U.S., 34 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases are in patients under the age of 45, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from mid-March. Of patients known to be hospitalized, about 20 percent were under 45, and of those known to be admitted to the ICU, 12 percent were under 45. The CDC also reports that the case fatality rate is less than 1 percent for people age 20-54.

But there isn’t much we know about why some young people are getting extremely sick and others aren’t. We know that age is a risk factor — the case fatality rate for COVID-19 climbs steeply for patients over 60. This is true for a lot of infections and generally has to do with diminishing immune systems and underlying health conditions.

But that doesn’t help us figure out what’s going on with these cases where young people get sick and it quickly turns serious. It’s not as simple as pointing to underlying conditions. Many conditions, such as asthma, haven’t been definitively confirmed as risk factors, though many doctors suspect they are.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-are-some-young-healthy-people-getting-severe-covid-19/

[Baltimike]

1. bigger viral load? nt

[ScratchCat]

2. Dr. Fauci said last weekend

That there is something about covid-19 on the enviro-genesis(genetic) level that scientist have not been able to figure out yet as to why the virus affects "equal people" differently(they were using front line medical workers in their 20's and 30's as the example). I am actually surprised this isn't one of the bigger stories. It means that once they identify "what" this is, it will be much easier to control the spread to people who would be affected the worst. It looks like this is going to turn out to have a large "genetic component" to it and we will soon know that everyone doesn't share the same risk.

[Mike 03]

6. Thanks, good comment. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Blood coagulation and cytokine storm and initial viral load seem to be factors

But the first two open up their own set of questions.

The blood coagulation is very poorly understood at this point. May be involved in the hypoxia connection.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Our Daughter the Nurse

has been screaming about the Blood equation. She was a Special Needs Adult day care Manager for two decades. Clotting was and is a major concern with this group as well as being susceptible to any viral infection in the Neighborhood.

[Mike 03]

7. This is a huge mystery

Physicians are describing this as something they've never seen before except rarely in some cancers and in some cases of Lupus.

Maybe solving this will unlock some vital feature of the virus.

[Mike 03]

4. Very interesting

There’s also a chance that whether or not you have already been exposed to COVID-19 can determine how severe your infection is. With the dengue virus, for example, the first time someone is exposed to the virus, they often have only a mild infection, but if they encounter it a second time, it can become deadly. Researchers believe this is due to the antibodies the body creates after first exposure, which start to diminish over time. If they drop to a low enough level, they’re not able to fight off the virus, but instead they inadvertently assist the virus in infecting cells. It’s called antibody-dependent enhancement, and researchers are investigating whether past exposure to this or a similar coronavirus could worsen the symptoms of COVID-19.

Other researchers are looking at whether the microbiome — the menagerie of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in and on the human body — could be playing a role. Microbiomes differ from person to person and some microbes have been known to help or hinder an individual’s ability to fight off infection.

Thanks for posting.

[Throck]

8. My guess is no one has any idea.

Covid19 is still too new.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. Maybe some of them have undiagnosed underlying health conditions.

As for young and otherwise healthy health care workers getting sick, my guess is that they are very sleep deprived, which adversely impacts the immune system.

Getting plenty of sleep is crucial for good health and most people do not understand that. Whenever someone dismissively says, "I can sleep when I'm dead" I want to point out that they'll simply be dead a lot sooner.

I am convinced that one important reason I'm as healthy as I am is that most of my life I've gotten enough sleep. And continue to do so.

[milestogo]

10. Ancestry just emailed me a link for a survey having to do with COVID19

I answered it. I hope they figure it out fast

[shanti]

11. I got one of those too

but was unsure about whether or not to respond.

[milestogo]

12. They've already got all my genetic information and family history.

Answering a few questions about the current pandemic didn't seem like much more.