Covid-19: What happens when you get Coronavirus?
Covid-19 is a type of Respiratory virus that affects humans. It is a member of the Coronavirus Family. They are other viruses in this family. Read more on Covid-19 Here.
The coronavirus gains entry through a mucous membrane in your body, such as your eyes, nose, or mouth. Hence, it is advised that we avoid putting our hands in any of these places during this outbreak.
When a person gets infected (tests positive for Coronavirus), here is what happens:
- The virus enters your healthy body cells, especially those of the lungs, through the ACE2 receptors. Once they are in, they multiply within the cell, eventually killing the cell.
- When your body’s immune system discovers the virus, like the police, it sets out to attack it, giving rise to inflammation which manifests as the fever that develops. A cough can also develop, which is the usual body’s response to a foreign body in the throat that shouldnt be there. For most persons (80%), the symptoms end here.
- But for some others, the infection gets worse. The infection gets to the lower respiratory tract, especially the lungs and this makes it difficult to breathe. This is where more serious medical problems can come up, like Viral pneumonia, or ARDS. People who get to this stage usually needs to be in the hospital for respiratory support as ARDS makes it difficult or impossible to breathe.
In Summary, Not everyone who gets infected with Coronavirus gets these serious complications. And not everyone needs medical attention. But we cannot tell who and who would develop these symptoms and hence, if your symptoms include trouble breathing, you need emergency help.
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