Firstly, let's understand how does COVID-19 invades the body, which is if you come in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 through coughing or sneezing or when you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your face.
The virus sticks its spiky surface proteins to ACE2 receptors on healthy cells in the throat, airways, and especially those in the lungs and thus kills the healthy cells eventually.
Most people infected with COVID-19 recover within days to weeks after infection, so post-COVID-19, illness is first identified at least 4 weeks after infection. Anyone who is infected can experience a post-COVID condition. Most post-COVID-19 patients developed symptoms a few days after they first learned they had COVID-19, but some people later developed COVID-19. did not know when he was infected.
But one thing that’s clear is that in extreme cases, the virus can have a harmful effect on different systems in the body — and not just on the lungs.
Read more - Compare Health Insurance Plan in India
Impact on Lungs
Like other coronavirus diseases such as SARS, MERS, and the common cold, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, so the lungs are usually the first to be affected. Initial symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath. These appear as early as 2 days and within 14 days after exposure to the virus. Fever tops the list of symptoms, but not everyone who gets sick develops it. On the other hand, coughing is more common, but 68-83% of those hospitalised with COVID-19 have been found to develop a cough. Only 11-40% had shortness of breath. The severity of COVID-19 ranges from mild or asymptomatic to severe and sometimes fatal illness. Older people and people with chronic diseases appear to be at higher risk of developing serious illness.
This variability is also evident in the impact of COVID-19 on the lungs. Some people have only mild respiratory symptoms, while others develop non-life-threatening pneumonia. However, there is a subset of people who develop severe lung damage. The damage to the lungs can cause fluid to leak through the small blood vessels in the lungs. Fluid collects in air sacs or alveoli. This makes it more difficult for the lungs to carry oxygen from the air into the blood.
One of the interesting things about COVID-19 is that many patients do not appear to suffer from oxygen deprivation, even though their blood oxygen levels can be fatal. This has led some doctors to reconsider putting their patients on ventilators just because they have low blood oxygen levels.
Impact on the Stomach and Intestines
Some people with COVID-19 have reported gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhoea, but these symptoms are less common than lung problems. Although coronaviruses appear to enter the body more easily through the lungs, reaching the gut is not inaccessible to these viruses. Previous reports have identified the causative virus in intestinal tissue biopsies and stool samples. However, researchers do not yet know whether faecal transmission of this virus can occur.
Impact on the Heart
COVID-19 can also affect the heart and blood vessels. This can manifest as an irregular heart rhythm, too little blood in the tissues, or blood pressure so low that medication is needed. But so far it's not clear whether the virus directly damages the heart.
In a study of hospitalised patients, 20% had some form of heart failure. In another case, about 44% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients had arrhythmias. There is also evidence that COVID-19 can make your blood more likely to clot. It's not clear how much this affects the severity of the disease, but blood clots can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Impact on the Liver and Kidneys
When liver cells become inflamed or damaged, they can release higher than normal levels of enzymes into the bloodstream. Elevated liver enzymes are not necessarily a sign of a serious problem, but this was an observation in patients who contacted COVID-19. Doctors say it's unclear whether the virus or the drugs they're taking are to blame.
Some people hospitalised with COVID-19 also have acute kidney injury and may need a kidney transplant. During the SARS outbreak, scientists discovered the virus that causes the disease in the kidney tubules. Research suggests that kidney damage may be due to other changes that occur during coronavirus infection. Also in pneumonia, less oxygen circulates and can damage the kidneys.
Impact on the Immune System
With each infection, the body's immune system responds and attacks foreign viruses and bacteria. This immune response can rid the body of infection, but it can also cause collateral damage to the body. This can take the form of an intense inflammatory response, sometimes called a "cytokine storm." Immune cells produce cytokines to fight infections, but releasing too much can cause problems for the body.
Much of the damage to the body during COVID-19 is due to a complex immune response called sepsis syndrome. The infection itself can trigger an intense inflammatory response in the body, affecting the function of multiple organ systems. Another thing about the immune system is that so far there have been very few cases of COVID-19 in children under the age of nine. Scientists aren't sure if young children don't get infected, or if the symptoms are so mild that no one notices.
Final Thoughts
Research suggests that people who are vaccinated are less likely to report post-COVID illness compared to those who are not vaccinated. Also, people suffering from post-COVID illness can visit their healthcare provider to create a personalised treatment plan that can help improve their symptoms and quality of life.
