: For many Covid fatalities, the virus isn’t the sole killer – bacterial infections play a part too #IndiaNEWS The 1918 influenza pandemic resulted in the loss of over 3% of the world’s population

For many Covid fatalities, the virus isn’t the sole killer – bacterial infections play a part too #IndiaNEWS
The 1918 influenza pandemic resulted in the loss of over 3% of the world’s population – at least 50 million people. But it wasn’t the flu virus that caused the majority of these deaths.An analysis of lung samples collected during that flu pandemic indicated that most of the deaths were likely due to bacterial pneumonia, which ran rampant in the absence of antibiotics. Even in more recent history, like the 1957 H2N2 and 2009 H1N1 flu pandemics, nearly 18% of patients with viral pneumonia had additional bacterial infections that increased their risk of death. And the Covid-19 pandemic is no different.With yet another flu season fast approaching in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, lessening the harm caused by these viruses is important to prevent deaths and reduce infections. However, many deaths associated with the flu and Covid-19 don’t occur at the hand of the virus alone. Instead, it’s a secondary bacterial infection that is often at the root of the devastating consequences attributed to an initial viral infection.I am an immunologist who studies why and how cells die during bacterial and viral infections. Understanding the synergy between these microbes is critical not only for effective diagnosis and treatment, but also for managing current pandemics and preventing future ones. My colleagues and I published a study showing...Read more

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