Breathe despite coronavirus

These days we are seeing that unfortunately the death toll from coronavirus continues to grow. In Spain alone until today, March 26, 2020, there have been more than 4,100 victims, overtaking China, where the epidemic was declared. How does the coronavirus kill? It has been said several times that it infects the airways and generally gives symptoms similar to those of a cold or flu. But in severe cases it can complicate and cause pneumonia. It is, therefore, pneumonia that ends up killing patients. Pneumonia is an inflammatory disease of the lung that primarily affects the alveoli. It is usually caused by a virus or bacteria infection, and less frequently by other microorganisms such as fungi or protozoa. It is also not uncommon a mixed infection by virus and bacteria. The body’s reaction to the infection is usually an inflammation and accumulation of fluids inside the alveoli so that the O2 exchange is obstructed. As more and more alveoli are affected, the O2 content in the blood, which is technically called the saturation level, decreases until the patient can end up drowning. The treatment in these cases consists of hospitalizing the patient and supplying him with oxygen-enriched air to compensate for the limitations of his lungs and give him time to recover. Unfortunately in the current pandemic situation, there are not enough breathing apparatus for everyone. For this reason, various initiatives have emerged, such as 3D printing of bifurcators, which installed in respirators, double their capacity.