I’m wondering how people die from this- Do they drown because of fluid in the lungs? Suffocate slowly- agonizingly? I read that it destroys air sacks i nthe lungs, and can leave survivors with damaged lungs- but what woudl be the actual dying process of this flu?
From what I have heard, you die of severe pneumonia. Your lungs generate fluid faster than they can get rid of it.
I wonder also. My speculation from what I've heard: Covid-19 (I believe this is what they call this Corona Virus) infects the lung cells, and causes them to burst open and spread the virus to other cells. The dead lung cells and their debris build up in the lungs and hamper the lung's ability to do their work in providing oxygen to the blood. So in a sense you drown from the fluids and dead cells. I also heard that laying down on your stomach is better for breathing while sick (don't know if true). I was wondering if an inhaler would help (I was prescribed inhalers for lung problems a couple years ago), but probably not much help if your lungs are clogged due to Covid-19.
He said he doesn’t smoke so his lungs were in good shape
Inadequate exchange of o2 and co2 at the damaged sacks and a slow build up of co2 in the body. This leads to a cascade of side effects including the build up of lactic acid, kidneys and liver failure. Bacteria can build up in the lung and cause secondary infections and then sepsis. If the initial lung damage and fluid build up is so bad, you can die within a day due to simple suffocation. That’s why bed rest and early airway management is so important with this disease, and why people suddenly dropped dead in the streets. They were overtaxing themselves and their co2 levels rose so much, so rapidly that they died of sudden suffocation and or a heart attack due to ischemia brought on by hypoxia.