Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : September 30, 2020 1:28 PM IST
According to the WHO, around 1 out of every 5 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill.
The novel coronavirus, which is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is still a mystery to everyone. Researchers around the world are working together to understand this new virus and find a solution to the current health crisis. While they are learning something every day, there is still a lot that is unknown about COVID-19. One of the mysterious things that have left scientists perplexed is the wide range of symptoms and complications this virus can cause.
Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 can vary from person to person as it affects different people in different ways. Fever, dry cough, and tiredness are documented as the most common symptoms of COVID-19. Some patients may also experience less common symptoms like nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, etc. Patients with serious symptoms like difficulty breathing and chest pain are advised to seek immediate medical attention.
A serious form of COVID-19 can lead to life-threatening conditions like acute respiratory failure, pneumonia, acute liver injury, acute cardiac injury, acute kidney injury and septic shock. It is more worrisome when it comes to COVID-19 impact on the heart. If you have a heart attack while battling the coronavirus, doctors may not be able to save you, says a new study.
The result of the study is based on the observation of 1,309 patients who were admitted to a Michigan hospital with the coronavirus. Out of those patients, 60 ended up suffering heart attacks and 54 of those died, stated the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Sept. 28. This means at least 90 percent of COVID patients who had a heart attack died.
According to the researchers, 79 percent of the patients were receiving mechanical ventilation, 33 percent were in the process of kidney replacement therapy, and nearly 47 percent were being given vasopressor support at the time of their cardiac arrests.
The findings indicate that the chances of cardiac resuscitation working may be very low for most coronavirus patients who end up having a heart attack. This is probably because their lung disease has gotten so severe that they aren't getting enough oxygen and their body is shutting down, explained J. Randall Curtis, a professor of pulmonology with the University of Washington in Seattle, who was not involved in the study.
Even if they are resuscitated, their heart will have to continue to fight against the lack of oxygen in their body from their damaged lungs. This drastically reduces their chances of survival, Curtis told HealthDay News.
The available data suggests that most infected people develop mild to moderate illness and recover without needing hospital treatment. According to the WHO, around 1 out of every 5 people who get COVID-19 becomes seriously ill.
Older people (above 60 years), and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, or cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness. Having said so, anyone can catch COVID-19 and become seriously ill. If you experience fever and/or cough associated with difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, chest pain/pressure, or loss of speech or movement, seek medical attention immediately.
