Coronavirus, officially named Sars-Co-2, is a respiratory illness that attacks your lungs and infects the air sac lining, which causes inflammation in your lungs. Thus, causing breathing problems for the bearer of the Covid 19 virus.
Medical practitioners are paving their way to gain knowledge about this newest strain of Coronaviruses, many discoveries are coming up during the research. One of the most life-threatening effects of Covid 19 is that it attacks your lungs in a way that leaves you with a long-lasting illness. Let’s see what does covid 19 does to your lungs?
What does Covid 19 do to your lungs?
A lung disease expert at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, MHS, reveals some of the short-term and long-term effects of Covid 19 on the lungs. With proven data, he analyses three major effects that range from mild to severe consequences.
The mildest repercussion of Covid 19 on the lungs is Pneumonia. People with more severe symptoms may end up with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Additionally, individuals with even more complicated cases of coronavirus can get Sepsis, which not only makes the recovery difficult but also has lasting effects on the lungs.
The severity of lung damage may start from Pneumonia, which means infectious fluid fills air sacs of your lungs and causes inflammation. This occurs to both the lungs, which results in shortness of breath.
As it gets severe, it can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome or (ARDS). It happens due to the progression of pneumonia. It fills more air sacs with infectious liquid, which is leaked through tiny blood vessels. Moreover, it can cause severe breathing difficulty, and a person may not be able to breathe on his or her own and would need a ventilator. It can be fatal for people who have acute illnesses, and if anyone survives, they will end up with long-lasting pulmonary scarring.
When a Covid 19 case worsens, it can lead to Sepsis. It occurs when the infectious fluid that has filled your lungs spreads into your body through the bloodstream. It will cause severe damage to the tissues and would result in disrupting your organs. Galiatsatos explains it as, shutting down of organ systems one by one. It is fatal, and if a warrior survives this, they may live their post covid 19-recovery life with severe lung and organ damage.
As of now, we are aware of what could be the mildest and severest effects of covid 19 on the lungs. Let’s see what factors can lead to these critical conditions.
What key factors lead to the long-term effects of coronavirus on the lungs?
Lung disease experts define three primary factors that lead to lung illnesses due to Covid 19. Moreover, these factors also determine how likely a person can recover from the damage.
One of the major factors is how severe Covid 19 case is. We are aware that Covid 19 severity depends from person to person. If the case is mild, there are less likely chances of a person to end up with long-lasting lung damage.
Moreover, the health condition of a person who has contracted the virus also depends. If a person has a chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer, etc, one may be at high risk of developing more severe symptoms of Sars-Cov-2. Moreover, older people are more vulnerable because their lung tissues may have lessened elasticity due to growing age, and their immune system may be weak as well.
Lastly, how fast a person gets the treatment also determines whether the person will be able to survive the virus easily or will have a harder time. If a person develops acute respiratory stress syndrome and is given timely care, one may recover better and may have less long-lasting damage.
Final words on how to lessen the chances of lung damage from Covid 19
If you want to keep yourself safe from lung damage, make sure you take care of yourself. If you have any chronic illness or are vulnerable to Covid 19 due to any reason, make sure you take extra precautions. In case of any emergency, immediately contact the nearest healthcare department.
