On the desk of Igor Lyulin, deputy chief physician for clinical expert work, Krasnodar Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 1, there are voluminous folders with case histories. Studying each helps save new patients.
Igor Sergeevich and his medical colleagues are now on the “line of fire”. With the onset of autumn in the Kuban, as in many regions, the situation with the coronavirus has worsened. More than 17 thousand cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the region, 392 people have already become its victims. Among the cases was the chief infectious disease specialist of the region, the head of the Krasnodar infectious diseases hospital No. 1 Sergey Zotov.
Igor Sergeevich, how, according to your observations, the autumn COVID-19 differs from the spring one?
Igor Lyulin: There are more severe cases. Fortunately, most of them do not have such severe illness and can be treated at home.
How do you explain the fact that now there are more seriously ill patients? Is the reason in our carelessness or does the virus mutate after all?
Igor Lyulin: No, this is the same pathogen that appeared in China a year ago. A virus is the simplest form of a living organism that can adapt to changing environmental conditions. But he did not mutate during the observation. The epidemic is just developing, more and more people are becoming infected. And in the autumn-winter period, there is a predicted seasonal rise.
And how to reduce the risk of developing the disease in a severe scenario?
Igor Lyulin: There are clear criteria: the severity and duration of fever, blood oxygen saturation, a complex of concomitant diseases. They make it possible to single out those at risk of severe course from the entire group of patients, and it is they who are hospitalized. Unfortunately, today there are not enough district doctors, they are overloaded. This is an indicator of social problems and, of course, conclusions are drawn.
Are there any new symptoms to identify COVID?
Igor Lyulin: It is possible to accurately determine ARVI or COVID only in the laboratory. Coronavirus infection belongs to the group of respiratory infections that occur with similar symptoms: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, general weakness, and malaise.
There are no exclusive differences from COVID-19. Yes, loss of smell is indeed quite common. But such a symptom does not appear from the first day of the disease and not in everyone. Therefore, in a pandemic, any viral infection should be regarded as a suspected coronavirus.
If you get sick, immediately limit contacts, invite a doctor who can assess your condition and choose further treatment tactics. If it worsens, contact the emergency medical service.
We see what serious consequences come in some people who have had coronavirus: blood vessels, kidneys, psyche are affected. How to deal with this?
Igor Lyulin: Choking, shortness of breath, shortness of breath is quite difficult for people. In addition, the virus exacerbates feelings of anxiety and causes other somatic problems that are not yet fully understood. The main forces were previously aimed at combating acute manifestations of the disease. And now we understand that we need to substantively deal with rehabilitation and recovery, especially after a severe coronavirus infection with a large area of lung damage.
More details – in the next issue of “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”. All materials of the plot “COVID-19. We can handle it!” read here.
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