Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 27 February 2020
How deadly is new coronavirus? It's still too early to tell

By LAURAN NEERGAARD the U.S. National Institutes
AP Medical Writer of Health.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sci- That's far lower than what
entists can't tell yet how has been calculated so far
deadly the new virus for COVID-19. But millions
that's spreading around of people get the flu ev-
the globe really is — and ery year around the world,
deepening the mystery, leading to an annual death
the fatality rate differs even toll in the hundreds of thou-
within China. sands.
As infections of the virus WHO'S MOST AT RISK FROM
that causes COVID-19 COVID-19?
surge in other countries, Older people, especially
even a low fatality rate those with chronic illnesses
can add up to lots of vic- such as heart or lung dis-
tims, and understanding eases, are more at risk.
why one place fares bet- Among younger people,
ter than another becomes deaths are rarer, Aylward
critical to unravel. said. But some young
"You could have bad out- deaths have made head-
comes with this initially un- lines, such as the 34-year-
til you really get the hang old doctor in China who
of how to manage" it, Dr. was reprimanded by
Bruce Aylward, the World Bruce Aylward, Team Lead WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19, speaks to the media about the communist authorities for
Health Organization envoy COVID-19 after returning from China, during a press conference, at the World Health Organization, sounding an early alarm
who led a team of scien- WHO, headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Associated Press about the virus only to later
tists just back from China, succumb to it.
warned Tuesday. And while there are no ting infections far earlier cases, just like Wuhan did. In China, 80% of patients
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT specific treatments for CO- in places where the medi- HOW DOES COVID-19 are mildly ill when the vi-
THE DEATH RATE? VID-19, earlier supportive cal system wasn't already COMPARE TO OTHER DIS- rus is detected, compared
In the central China city care may help, too. China strained. EASES? with 13% who already are
of Wuhan, where the new went from about 15 days That's now changing, with A cousin of this new virus severely ill. While the sickest
coronavirus first exploded, between onset of symp- clusters of cases in Japan, caused the far deadlier to start with are at highest
2% to 4% of patients have toms and hospitalization Italy and Iran, and the severe acute respiratory risk of death, Aylward said,
died, according to WHO. early in the outbreak, to death toll outside of China syndrome outbreak in 2003, a fraction of the mildly ill do
But in the rest of hard-hit about three days more re- growing. and about 10% of SARS pa- go on to die — for unknown
China, the death rate was cently. Aylward cautioned that tients died. reasons.
strikingly lower, 0.7%. Still, Aylward expressed authorities should be care- Flu is a different virus family, On average, however,
There's nothing different frustration at people say- ful of "artificially high" death and some strains are dead- WHO says people with mild
about the virus from one ing: "'Oh, the mortality rates early on: Some of lier than others. On aver- cases recover in about two
place to another. Instead, rate's not so bad because those countries likely are age, the death rate from weeks, while those who are
the never-before-seen there's way more mild cas- seeing the sickest patients seasonal flu is about 0.1%, sicker can take anywhere
strain of coronavirus struck es.' Sorry, the same number at first and missing milder said Dr. Anthony Fauci of from three to six weeks.q
Wuhan fast — before any- of people that were dying,
one knew what the illness still die." Satellite almost on empty gets
was — and overwhelmed WHAT ABOUT DEATHS OUT-
health facilities. As is usual SIDE OF CHINA?
at the beginning of an Until the past week, most new life after space docking
outbreak, the first patients people diagnosed outside
were severely ill before of China had become By MARCIA DUNN companion. Company telsat 901 satellite and
they sought care, Aylward infected while traveling CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. officials called it a historic clamped onto it. The duo
said. there. (AP) — A communication moment for space com- will remain attached for
By the time people were People who travel gener- satellite almost out of fuel merce, akin to the three- the next five years.
getting sick in other parts ally are healthier and thus has gotten a new life after spacewalker capture of a This novel rescue was car-
of China, authorities were may be better able to re- the first space docking of wayward Intelsat satellite ried out at a slightly higher
better able to spot milder cover, noted Johns Hopkins its kind. 28 years ago. orbit to avoid jeopardiz-
cases — meaning there University outbreak spe- Northrop Grumman and “We’re pushing the ing other satellites if some-
were more known infec- cialist Lauren Sauer. And Intelsat announced the boundaries of what many thing had gone wrong.
tions for each death count- countries began screening successful link-up nearly thought would be impos- The Intelsat satellite was
ed. returning travelers, spot- 22,500 miles (36,000 kilo- sible,” said Tom Wilson, never designed for this
meters) above Earth on president of SpaceLo- kind of docking; officials
Wednesday. It’s the first gistics, a subsidiary of said everything went well.
time two commercial sat- Northrop Grumman. “The Once maneuvered back
ellites have joined in orbit impossible is now a reality. down into its operational
like this. Today is a great example orbit, the Intelsat satellite
The recently launched of that.” should resume operations
satellite — Northrop Grum- The Northrup Grumman in another month or two.
man’s Mission Extension satellite was launched MEV-1 will move on to
Vehicle, or MEV-1 — will from Kazakhstan in Octo- another satellite in need
serve as a guide dog of ber. On Tuesday, it closed once its five-year hitch is
sorts for its aging Intelsat in on the 19-year-old In- over.q