Filenews 14 November 2021
At a time when the new wave of the coronavirus is galloping in the country with cases having stabilized above 6,000, the doctors of the therapeutic clinic of the Medical School of the University of Athens are answering questions that concern the whole world about the coronavirus.
As the doctors of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Theodora Psaltopoulou, Eleni Koroboki and Thanos Dimopoulos) report, COVID-19 can affect almost all organs and for this reason it is considered a "multisystemic disease".
As they say, serious complications can occur from the heart, especially in patients who are severely ill , such as arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, acute myocardial damage, heart failure, complications from the vessels. In severely ill people, clots may form inside the vessels, causing pulmonary embolism or stroke.
See in detail everything you need to know through 7 Q&A
What causes the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus causes COVID-19 which can have short-term and long-term complications. The disease usually starts with mild symptoms (fever, malaise, cough) but eventually can affect the functioning of the lungs, liver, kidneys and even the brain.
How is the coronavirus transmitted?
Usually the virus is transmitted aerogenously, after close contact with an infected person, by talking, coughing, sneezing. It spreads easily between people who are at a distance of less than one and a half meters. The infected person can transmit the virus even before they manifest symptoms. More rarely, the virus can be transmitted from surfaces, e.g. by touching an infected object such as the door knob.
When do the first symptoms manifest themselves?
Once the virus enters the body it usually settles in the cells of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. The virus invades healthy cells and begins to reproduce. This process can take one to two weeks, without necessarily the person showing symptoms. Symptoms in most people are limited to the upper respiratory tract.
How does COVID-19 occur?
The first symptoms usually include fever, headache, sore throat and dry cough. In addition, shortness of breath, myalgias, unusual fatigue, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, nausea or diarrhea may occur. The degree of onset of symptoms varies from person to person.
What are the complications of COVID-19?
Usually, if the immune system cannot cope with the infection in the first week the virus can progress in the lungs causing pneumonia. Pneumonia leads to difficulty breathing due to a drop in oxygen in the blood. Most people recover within one to two weeks but the recovery process can take longer. ΄
However, in some patients, pneumonia can worsen rapidly leading to respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Tiny, thin air sacs that carry oxygen to the blood and are called alveoli are filled with a mucous material. X-ray and chest CT scans may show that large areas of the lungs have been occupied and no air enters.
Oxygen levels in the blood are dangerously dropping and in some cases mechanical support of ventilator breathing is needed. Today we know that the deterioration in COVID-19 patients occurs not only from damage to the lungs but also from a reaction of the immune system called "cytokine cataracts". This immune reaction can lead to a drop in blood pressure, multi-organ failure and damage to the vessels.
In addition to pneumonia, what other complications can COVID-19 cause?;
COVID-19 can affect almost all organs for this reason it is considered a "multisystemic disease".
Serious complications from the heart can occur, especially in patients who are severely ill , such as arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, acute myocardial damage, heart failure, complications from the vessels. In severely ill people, clots may form inside the vessels, causing pulmonary embolism or stroke.
COVID-19 also appears to cause symptoms from the brain such as disturbance of the level of consciousness, seizures and strokes. About half of the patients hospitalized with COVID-19 disease have elevated liver enzymes which indicates liver damage, which is probably a result of the interaction of the effect of the virus, medication and disruption of the immune system.
Kidney damage is common in patients who have severe covid-19 disease. Medication, a drop in blood pressure, a disturbance of the immune system and the underlying diseases contribute to the occurrence of manifestations by the kidneys.
About a third of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 develop conjunctivitis. This is due to eye irritation by the virus.
Can damage be caused to patients who have passed COVID-19 very lightly or without symptoms?
There are studies that show that up to 40% of people infected with coronavirus are asymptomatically ill, i.e. they do not manifest symptoms. However, even in these people the virus can cause damage to the lungs as can be revealed by X-ray and chest CT scan.
