Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => COVID-19 => Topic started by: set fair on 18/09/2020 00:22:29

Title: Could CoV2 be spreading in the water in Peru?
Post by: set fair on 18/09/2020 00:22:29
I'm asking, not suggesting. They had a fairly strict lickdown and the deaths curve is not like Europe. I recall, early in the pandemic, an expert saying, that, while we think of the human coronaviruses as causing respiratory disease, in fact, in some parts of the world, they cause more gastrointeatinal disease.

Anyone know anything about this?
Title: Re: Could CoV2 be spreading in the water in Peru?
Post by: Bored chemist on 18/09/2020 08:51:49
in fact, in some parts of the world, they cause more gastrointeatinal disease.
How does the virus know where it is?
"Aha! I'm in Peru- best attach this guy's gut, rather than his lungs"
Title: Re: Could CoV2 be spreading in the water in Peru?
Post by: alancalverd on 19/09/2020 16:37:49
The population density of Peru is one tenth that of the UK, so you would expect a different epidemic profile anyway. It's arguable that those who live in the sierra have a more efficient cardiovascular system than most Europeans so the incidence of respiratory complication may be lower, hence gastrointestinal sequelae of infection may be relatively more important.

If we had any credible statistics it would be interesting to compare the ratio of severe symptoms per infected case, between residents of la Rinconada (16,700 ft above sea level) and people living on the coast.