COVID-19 pandemic: changing the way we live and die

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that originated in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019 has spread rapidly across the globe, and poses serious consequences to peoples' lives here in the UK. COVID-19 causes acute respiratory distress (World Health Organization (WHO), 2020). There are a range of symptoms to look out for, although some people are asymptomatic: a new, persistent cough, fever, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and fatigue (WHO, 2020). Emergency symptoms include difficulty breathing, persistent painful cough, high fever, confusion, bluish face or lips and any difficulty waking. Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the UK and other countries have seen a rise in the number of infections and, with that, a record number of deaths on a daily basis.

A report by the Intensive Care National Audit Research Centre (ICNARC) (2020) reported a 50% mortality (death) rate for 165 patients admitted to 285 intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since February 2020. Although the majority of those who died were over 70 years, nine (11.4%) who also died were aged between 16 and 49 years, thereby discrediting the claim that COVID-19 only affects older adults. Of the 50% who survived, 28 patients were also reported to be in the same age range. Men were reported as being more susceptible to this disease, although no explanation was offered, apart from more men being admitted to intensive care than women at the point of the audit. It was claimed in the report that 70% of those admitted with COVID-19 were clinically obese, leading to the conclusion that overweight was a key risk factor (ICNARC, 2020). Since the report, more daily deaths have been reported, and as I write, another 207 people were reported to have died in the last 24 hours, after testing positive for the virus, making the total of deaths 1235 in the UK to date.