Autopsies show massive lung damage as the cause of death

Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus takes its course in the majority of cases as a complication-free disease of the upper respiratory tract, especially the throat. However, some patients develop pneumonia, which, in a small proportion of cases, is so severe that artificial ventilation is required. In spite of all the intensive medical measures, patients die from this disease.

An interdisciplinary medical team led by the Augsburg pathologist Dr Tina Schaller has performed 19 post-mortem examinations on patients who died of COVID-19 since 4 April this year. Thanks to providing relatives with comprehensive information, an autopsy rate of almost 90 % of the deaths was achieved in Augsburg, which enables doctors to give an accurate assessment. The results of the first ten autopsies have now been published in the prestigious Journal of the American 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏ical Association (JAMA). "During the examinations, we were able to detect the genetic makeup of the virus in the respiratory system of the deceased," explains Dr Schaller, senior consultant and lead author of the study. The lung tissue itself consistently showed unusually severe, sometimes presumably irreversible damage. The medical team sees this change as the cause of death, since it massively impairs the oxygen uptake by the lungs to supply the organs.

Corona virus as the cause of the lung damage

“The most important finding from the initial analysis is that the lung damage described does not appear to be a complication of ventilation. Rather, regardless of this intensive medical measure, it is most likely to arise directly from damage by the virus . All patients suffered from serious underlying diseases, which, however, did not lead directly to death,” adds Prof. Dr Bruno M?rkl, Director of the Institute for Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics at the 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 Hospital of Augsburg, and holder of the Chair for General and Special Pathology at the Faculty of 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine of the 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 of Augsburg. No apparently severe changes could be detected in the other organs . The pronounced lung damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 is comparable to the effects of the diseases SARS and MERS.

The study

Sample: Autopsy of 10 male and female patients with SARS-CoV-2 of an average age of 79 years, with an average of four pre-existing conditions , mainly in the cardiovascular area.

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Authors:Dr. med. Tina Schaller1*; Dr. med. Klaus Hirschbühl2*; Dr. med. Katrin Burkhardt3; Dr. med. Georg Braun4; Prof. Dr. med. Martin Trepel2; Prof. Dr. med. Bruno M?rkl1**; PD Dr. med. Rainer Claus2**

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1 Institute of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 Hospital of Augsburg
2 II 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏ical Clinic, 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 of Augsburg
3 Institute for Laboratory 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏icine and Microbiology, 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 Hospital of Augsburg
4 III 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏ical Clinic, 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏 Hospital of Augsburg

* Lead author
**Senior author

Link to the study in the Journal of the American 伟德国际_伟德国际1946$娱乐app游戏ical Association (JAMA):

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2766557

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