Okay, so COVID-19 seems to be the only reality we exist in right now. So what does it mean to have COVID-19 and what can you possibly expect? Let’s talk about that.

As I mentioned in my previous post, COVID-19 is a dangerous virus for a few reasons. Because it is a novel (new) virus, our bodies have never encountered this and our immune system is unaware of how to deal with it. Also, it has a long incubation period. In other words, it can take 2-14 days before you even know you are carrying the virus inside your body. During that time, you could have spread it to dozens, if not hundreds, of people. When the virus has snuck under the radar like a stealthy spy and evaded our immune system, it invades our cells and multiplies exponentially. Eventually is overruns multiple tissues in the body including the upper airway (nose and throat), lungs, intestines, liver and bile ducts, heart, and sometimes brain. This then causes a surge of inflammation resulting in symptoms.

So once the virus has invaded your body and multiplies, what kind of symptoms should you expect? Well, for some of us, according to current scientific speculation, you may not develop any symptoms at all. This still is unclear because we don’t have enough scientific data based on testing to know whether or not it is true. If you unfortunately develop symptoms, it usually starts with a fever, sore throat, and dry (sometimes productive cough). Some people develop shortness of breath, body aches, and headache. Others may develop conjunctivitis (pink eye), belly pain, nausea with vomiting, and diarrhea. The symptoms can pop up any point from the second day of exposure or even two weeks after you came in contact with the virus. For those whose symptoms get worse and do not get better, they become to have a more violent cough with significant shortness of breath making it difficulty to speak in full sentences or perform simple activities like washing dishes or walking to the bathroom. Your fever may continue or increase, headaches/body aches may get worse, and your energy begins to dwindle.

Another scary feature of this disease is that you could develop something called “silent hypoxia” in which your oxygen levels in your blood are alarmingly low yet your breathing does not seem as severe as it should be based on those levels. For instance, an average, healthy person’s oxygen level should be 98-100% but with COVID-19, your levels could drop to 85% which is concerning and you may not feel short of breath.

As the virus continues to attack your body, eventually your body creates inflammatory cytokines which are proteins that help your immune system fight off infections. Unfortunately, if the infection is severe enough, too many of these proteins circulate in the body causing sepsis (body wide inflammation from an infection) and eventually organ failure. As the oxygen levels drop, the decision may be made to put you on a ventilator. Up until recently, no one really knew what a ventilator was unless you work in healthcare, have had family or friend on a ventilator, or make the machines. A ventilator is basically a machine which breathes for you. You would have a tube inserted into your throat which then goes into your airway. We then set a special pressure for how much air comes in and out of your lungs as well as how many times you breathe in a given amount of time based on what is wrong. Sadly, this may not work and do more harm than good.

Because we have never treated this infection before, we don’t know what works and what doesn’t. We use all of the medical science and research we have based on known diseases and physiology applying them theoretically in hopes of them working. With great sadness, some succumb to the disease as it is too much for their bodies to handle. Others come off of the ventilator and are discharged home to recover from the lingering symptoms. Those who have recovered from both professional experience and friends/family who have recovered from COVID-19, report lingering fatigue, persistent cough, and mild shortness of breath with activity.

So this disease as you can see can vary from person to person. Initially it was thought that those who were elderly or had pre-existing health conditions (diabetes, asthma, emphysema, heart disease, etc) were the only ones to die from the virus or suffer serious symptoms and complications. We now know this is not true. Young, healthy adults in their twenties and thirties are dying of this disease just as much as those over 60. However, it is not a guaranteed death sentence as there have been survivors over the age of 100 and multiple people with significant risk factors for bad outcomes who have beaten the disease.

Remember, I am here to give you the facts and not to scare you. Because this virus is sneaky and you could have it without symptoms for up to two weeks, please continue to wear your masks/face coverings in public, wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face/eyes, cover your coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, stay home and socially isolate if you’re able. Trust in your healthcare providers and those who are working in the hospital. We are there to help you, treat you, and cheer you on as you recover.