MDNews - Long Island

BY DANIEL K. BRANTLEY COVID-19: MORE THAN 12 MONTHS INTO THE PANDEMIC, WE E X AMINE WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD. A 30,000-Foot Perspective W HEN S A R S- C OV-2 WA S named, it was unclear how this virus would impact the world in the months to come. Early fatalities indicated the virus held harmful potential, but it was not suspected to be a pandemic threat. This changed in a matter of weeks, as the virus spread rapidly around the world, infecting and killing people daily. On Friday, March 13, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a national emergency in the United States. Businesses were forced to work remotely or close, schools adjusted to virtual learning, and masks and social distancing recommendations became the norm. Since then, multiple surges have infected a growing number of people of all age groups and medical histories. As of late Ma rch 2021, more tha n 30 million diagnoses and 540,000 deaths have occurred in the United States alone. Worldwide, more than 2.5 million have died from the virus. Despite advances in treating the disease and the rapid vaccine development, the number of cases and casualties continues to grow, but there is hope that the number is beginning to trend downward. EARLY INFECTIONS AND THERAPY Less than two weeks after the World Hea lth Organization proclaimed the presence of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the United States on Jan. 21. By Feb. 10, COVID-19 had already resulted in the more deaths than severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) did in 2003. We knew COVID-19 was causing severe respiratory complica- tions, but we also learned it was not restricted to the respiratory system. It put all organs and systems at risk, including the heart, nervous system, kidneys and skin. Whereas initial findings were that patients with pre-existing medical conditions were at greatest risk for complications, research is now finding that otherwise healthy individuals may suffer residual effects of COVID-19, including psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression, for an indeterminate time. In an attempt to grapple with the symptoms of COVID-19, early research focused on hydroxychloroquine. Previous research has determined it to be effective and safe for the treatment of malaria 0 6❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E

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