tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Asia Pac J Public Health
. 2020 Jul 25;1010539520944725.
doi: 10.1177/1010539520944725. Online ahead of print.
High Viral Load and Poor Ventilation: Cause of High Mortality From COVID-19
Shyam Aggarwal[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shreyas Aggarwal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anita Aggarwal[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kriti Jain[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sachin Minhas[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
There is a huge disparity between the mortality from COVID-19 in developed Western countries and developing Asian countries. Low viral load in the nasal cavity due to open air ventilation is a plausible reason for this difference. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs through respiratory droplets and fomites. There is ample evidence that the virus is airborne as well. The biggest factor in the transmission of SARS-C-V-2 are asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic carriers. Lack of open air ventilation is a major compounding factor as the virus remains in the environment, especially on fomites, leading to regular and repeated exposure to the virus. As a result, people living in developed countries tend to build up high viral load in their nasal cavity and nasopharynx. Studies have clearly shown that the severity of COVID-19 is directly proportional to the viral load harbored in the upper respiratory tract. These factors indicate a strong association between high viral load and poor ventilation, which, in turn, leads to high mortality from COVID-19 in developed Western nations.
Keywords: COVID-19; community outbreaks; coronavirus; infection.
. 2020 Jul 25;1010539520944725.
doi: 10.1177/1010539520944725. Online ahead of print.
High Viral Load and Poor Ventilation: Cause of High Mortality From COVID-19
Shyam Aggarwal[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shreyas Aggarwal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anita Aggarwal[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kriti Jain[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sachin Minhas[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32715729
- DOI: 10.1177/1010539520944725
Abstract
There is a huge disparity between the mortality from COVID-19 in developed Western countries and developing Asian countries. Low viral load in the nasal cavity due to open air ventilation is a plausible reason for this difference. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs through respiratory droplets and fomites. There is ample evidence that the virus is airborne as well. The biggest factor in the transmission of SARS-C-V-2 are asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic carriers. Lack of open air ventilation is a major compounding factor as the virus remains in the environment, especially on fomites, leading to regular and repeated exposure to the virus. As a result, people living in developed countries tend to build up high viral load in their nasal cavity and nasopharynx. Studies have clearly shown that the severity of COVID-19 is directly proportional to the viral load harbored in the upper respiratory tract. These factors indicate a strong association between high viral load and poor ventilation, which, in turn, leads to high mortality from COVID-19 in developed Western nations.
Keywords: COVID-19; community outbreaks; coronavirus; infection.