We'll breathe again

FOR MOST PEOPLE who develop Covid-19 it will be no worse than a bad cold or a bout of 'flu, but what makes this virus so dangerous is the 10 per cent of cases where the disease can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In these cases, the virus provokes a massive inflammatory over-reaction in the lungs, which can induce severe breathing difficulties, pneumonia and, ultimately, organ failure and death. This is where engineering can and always has stepped in.