The Adenovirus: A New Deadly Threat
The adenovirus is a new strain that attacks the respiratory system, eyes, kidneys, and other organs seemingly in minutes — with no cure yet available.
Government sources warn if the virus is treated like nothing more than a common cold — as the coronavirus was initially — the devastation could be worse and even surpass the threats of bird flu and meningitis.
After COVID’s unknown origin and unprecedented spread, many conspiracy theorists questioned whether the deadly disease was a bioweapon developed in China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. Now those same fears are reemerging.
“This certainly could be a new Chinese weapon,” retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely said. “Our analysts at the CDC are working hard to determine its origin – but we know biological attacks are in their playbook, and we need to address it immediately.”
According to the CDC, the rampant virus has been a key contributor to an unparalleled flu outbreak that’s already resulted in 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths this season alone.
The organization reports the virus’s symptoms are often mistaken for those of a cold or flu. They include cough, runny nose, sore throat, croup, swollen glands, earaches, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, urinary tract infections, chills and acute bronchitis.
But in many cases, adenovirus can lead to far more serious and potentially deadly illnesses such as pneumonia, gastroenteritis and bladder infections, along with kidney and lung disease.
“It is a mutation of a common winter virus that mimics other respiratory illnesses,” said New York internist Dr. Stuart Fischer. “As such, it has figured out how to circumvent the immune system, making it particularly dangerous and potentially deadly.”
According to Dr. Fischer, the immune system is defenseless against adenovirus until “it can learn how to produce antibodies that can negate its effects.”
The highly contagious disease has been dubbed the “winter virus” because it spreads extremely rapidly in cold weather, when people are indoors and in close proximity to each other.
It easily passes from one person to another by hugs and handshakes, but also by touching surfaces touched by infected people, since it can survive for up to two weeks. It can also be transmitted through sneezes and coughs.
Dr. Fischer adds that because the virus is basically an unknown commodity, it can be especially life-threatening to those with compromised or weakened immune systems, such as infants, transplant recipients, the elderly, and those with preexisting illnesses or cardiac disease.
“Their defenses are already down, making them sitting ducks for the virus,” he said.
Scarily, the virus is resistant to soap and everyday disinfectants, and antibiotics have proven to be ineffective against it.
In severe cases, adenovirus can cause inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, resulting in life-threatening meningitis or encephalitis.
For now, the only recommended treatments are rest, IV fluids and over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen for fever or body aches.
But if symptoms persist or get worse, Dr. Fischer recommends immediate hospitalization to avoid severe dehydration or extreme difficulty breathing.
He warned: “You must look out for a serious respiratory tract infection. If not treated in a timely fashion, that person will develop a bacterial infection that could be deadly.”
