How Does Coronavirus Affect Your Body?

Ever since India had its first coronavirus case on January 30th, 2020, the life of every individual has undergone a humongous change. 

Be it being lockdown within the limits of their home or making extra efforts to boost their immunity, people are doing whatever it takes to stay at bay from the deadly coronavirus. The Indian Government has come up to support us by taking multiple measures to ensure that the rise of coronavirus cases across the country can be minimized and eventually put to a halt.

On a personal basis too, every individual is understanding the value of ‘Prevention is better than cure’, hence following The Use of Masks To Stay Protected From Coronavirus as well as Social Distancing Guidelines to Fight Coronavirus in India. Since the coronavirus or COVID-19 has quite a massive impact on one’s mental and physical health, it is important for one to ensure that they do not contract coronavirus. 

By now, almost everyone knows that coronavirus leaves one with a lot of suffering. However, still many people are unaware of how this deadly virus is actually attacking our bodies? What all changes is it making inside us? 

Let’s find out the answer to what coronavirus actually does to our body?

How does coronavirus Enter the body?

When someone infected from COVID-19 disease coughs nearby your surroundings or when you touch a contaminated surface followed by your face, it is then the coronavirus or officially known as Sars-CoV-2 invades your body. 

The coronavirus latches its spiky surface proteins to receptors on healthy cells in the throat, airways, and especially those in the lungs.

The viral proteins bust into cells by means of ACE2 receptors. When inside, the coronavirus hijacks healthy cells and takes command, thereby killing some of the healthy cells eventually. 

How does coronavirus move around the body?

The virus moves down the respiratory tract, including the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. 

Since lower airways have more ACE2 receptors than the rest of the respiratory tract, the lungs become inflamed. 

This, in turn, leads to pneumonia (in some cases) where lungs are not able to get enough oxygen to the bloodstream, thereby lowering the ability of the body to take in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. It causes shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. 

In some cases, people even end up requiring a ventilator to breathe and maintain high oxygen levels till the time their lungs are able to function in a normal way again. 

Patients having viral pneumonia with the risk of developing secondary infections are also treated using anti-viral medication and antibiotics.

All in all, when less oxygen is carried to the blood, the blood, in turn, fails at supplying enough oxygen for the organs to survive. In other words, kidneys, lungs, and liver gradually start to shut down and stop working eventually.

Note - Once the coronavirus enters the body, it takes around 14 days to get early symptoms such as a sore throat, fever, or dry cough.

In most people, the symptoms end with a cough and a fever. 

However, in some people, the infection gets more severe. About 5 to 8 days after symptoms begin, people with a severe case of coronavirus infection start experiencing shortness of breath, with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (causes rapid breathing, fast heart rate, dizziness, and sweating) commencing after a few days. 

Other organs affected by COVID-19?

Many people who report having COVID-19 report showcase symptoms with their: 

• Eyes – About 1% to 3% of people with COVID-19 have pinkeye
• Nose and mouth – Up to a third of cases report the loss of smell or taste
• Stomach and intestines – Loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhoea, and indigestion are common in the case of COVID-19, even before the symptoms of fever or any respiratory problems
• Liver – According to studies, COVID-19 might also result in liver problems or damage

What happens when a COVID-19 case becomes critical?

When people start becoming critically ill due to coronavirus infection, the body starts to fail with a real chance of death. 

Why? It is because the immune system starts getting out of control, thereby causing extreme damage throughout the body.

Septic shock, due to a drop in blood pressure up to dangerously low levels and multiple organs become quite common. 

In case, the immune system fails at gaining power over the virus, the latter eventually spreads to every corner of the body, causing an increase in damage. 

As far as the treatment at this stage is concerned, it is highly invasive. The treatment can include ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (artificial lung takes blood out of the body by means of thick tubes, oxygenates it and pumps it back in). 

Needless to say, the damage can lead to fatal levels, thereby minimizing the ability of the body to keep itself alive. 

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The Takeaway

What does the coronavirus do to your body? Everything to know about the infection process. Coronavirus or COVID-19 disease is not to be taken lightly in any which way.

Everyone should learn from the worldwide condition and take precautionary measures on a regular basis. 

Be it by learning 7 Easy Ways to Stop Touching Face to Fight Coronavirus (COVID-19) or by Downloading Aarogya Setu App, you should take the command of your health in your own hands rather than taking the health for granted.

So, be alert and stay safe! 

If willing to uncover the benefits that Coronavirus Health Insurance has to offer, initiate contact at 1800-1205-698 to talk to InsuranceDekho experts right away