3 ms·

I heard that the virus isn't attacking the lungs or the heart, rather it's the immune systems response after the main infection has done it's business? Probably

• nostrademons 7y ago
  That's the "cytokine storm" theory, right? I've heard that but also heard conflicting and inconclusive evidence about it. Some evidence against it is that lymphopenia (abnormally low white blood cell count) is seen in 83% of patients and that patients with lymphopenia have significantly worse prognosis as far as death rates are concerned; this would seem to indicate that it's not the immune system doing the damage. It doesn't conclusively rule it out - you can develop cytokine storms with a depressed immune system, and Spanish Flu was another disease that also caused both lymphopenia and cytokine storms - but it does waggle its eyes suggestively in favor of looking for other causes.
  • thinkingemote 7y ago
    Thanks!
• LifeLiverTransp 7y ago
  Large scale tissue damage (to the lungs) can lead to a change in blood chemistry that disrupts the hearts rythm. Remember doctor houses infarcted muscle leading to cardic arrest? Among porteins and shredded cell dna-rna, potasium is disloged from dead tissue, and weakens/disables the powerplants in muscles. The effect may be hidden beneath the general achiness of a viral malaise. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/hypokalemia#1 https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/hypokalemia#1