COVID-19 epidemiology/medical dictionary

[steve2470]

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-jargon-buster-134845

(some of this will be known to informed DU'ers already)

ACE2: A protein on the cells in your airways that coronavirus attaches to.

Antibody: Large Y-shaped proteins that stick to the surface of bacteria and viruses.

Antigen: A foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body – especially the production of antibodies.

Case fatality rate: The percentage of confirmed cases that resulted in death is the case fatality rate, or CFR. The World Health Organization estimates the CFR for COVID-19 to be about 3.4%. But this number is likely to come down as more tests are performed and we identify more of the large number of cases with no symptoms. In South Korea, where lots of testing was performed, the CFR is about 1.5%.

Much more at link

[demgrrrll]

1. I read something really interesting in the Atlantic. Apparently it is important to test your

blood oxygen level with a pulse-ox if get Covid 19. If you wait until you are really short of breath it may make the course of the illness more dangerous. Your lungs are being damaged yet you can still breath in the early stages and do not know that your oxygen levels are really low. I think they call it silent hypoxia. I bought a pulse ox.

[appalachiablue]

2. CVS Pulse Oximeter $49.99; thanks for the info.

https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-pulse-oximeter-prodid-814854?skuid=814854