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I am blown away by this casually dropped metaphor: >As the virus spreads unchecked through the body, it drags a destructive immune reaction behind it. Individu
by dTal 6y ago
I am blown away by this casually dropped metaphor:
>As the virus spreads unchecked through the body, it drags a destructive immune reaction behind it. Individuals with COVID-19 face the same challenge as nations during the pandemic: if they can’t contain small sites of infection early—so that a targeted response can root them out—they end up mounting interventions so large that the shock inflicts its own damage.
- refurb 6y agoIt should also be added that an out of control infection is not the only reason why you end up with an immune response that harms the host. It's quite possible to get a severe immune response to an infection that's quite limited. Kind of similar to anaphylaxis to bee stings. The venom was never any threat to a human, but the immune response sure can be.
- vmception 6y agoMakes me imagine little cells arguing about whether it was worth shutting down the system lol “Those cells die everyday!”