Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : January 11, 2021 5:31 PM IST
Wear a mask to reduce your chances of Covid-19 infection.
Experts say Covid-19 is airborne and it is transmittable through the inhalation of contaminated droplets from a person who has the infection. But holding your breath to avoid inhaling infected droplets is not a good idea. In fact, it may increase your chances of getting the Covid-19 infection, according to researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.
Holding the breath or decreasing your breathing frequency can increase the process of virus-laden droplets being transported deep into your lungs, they said.
"Covid-19 has opened a gap in our understanding of deep pulmonological systemic diseases. Our study unravels the mystery behind how particles are transported and deposited in the deep lung," said Mahesh Panchagnula, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, in a statement, quoted by IANS.
In the laboratory study, they IIT researchers found that low breathing frequency increases the time of residence of the virus and thus the chances of deposition in the lungs and consequently the infection. In addition, the multi-scale lung structure has a significant effect on a person's susceptibility to Covid-19, they stated.
For the study, the research team used fluorescent aerosols to track the movement and deposition of particles in capillaries of size ranging from 0.3 to 2 millimetres which covers the range of bronchiole diameters. They found that the deposition of the particles was inversely proportional to the aspect ratio of capillaries. This means that the droplets are likely to deposit in longer bronchioles.
Several scientific reports have suggested that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 pandemic, can remain infectious for hours in aerosols. Thousands of these tiny droplets are released during everyday activities like talking, breathing, and coughing.
Based on these reports, international health agencies, including the CDC and the WHO, recommend maintaining a physical distance of three to six feet between people to minimise the chances of aerosol-based transmission of Covid-19. Along with physical distancing, guidelines from these agencies also recommend wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue to reduce your chances of Covid-19 infection.
Research has shown that the novel coronavirus can affect multiple organs in the body. It primarily infects the respiratory tract (the nose and lungs), causing coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Some patients may also experience loss of smell or taste, possibly due to the virus infecting and damaging nerve cells in the nose and mouth.
SARS-CoV-2 relies on the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein to infect humans. The ACE2 receptor is present in cells throughout the body, including the lungs, nose, blood vessels, heart, intestines, kidneys, liver, and some parts of the brain. Also, research has found that the novel coronavirus can circulate through the bloodstream to reach multiple organs.
This could explain the other Covid-19 symptoms, such as diarrhea, headache, blood clots, heart inflammation, heart attacks, strokes, seizures, confusion, and brain inflammation.
