Covid-19 infection impacts multiple organs in the host’s body, including the heart, brain, and lungs, among others. However, since it is a respiratory infection, its impact on the lungs can be far more critical.

According to a Times of India report, the most critical issues occur when SARS-CoV-2 starts spreading in the lungs. This can also trigger pulmonary complications.

Also read: Secondary blood infection related to severe Covid-19: Study

Covid-19 patients may reach this stage when the condition is not diagnosed in its preliminary phase. Here are some signs to look for in order to prevent the development of the complication, as per a Johns Hopkins Medicine study:

Breathlessness

When Covid-19 spreads in the lungs, patients may feel shortness of breath as the virus impedes the entry point of oxygen into the lungs. If this condition gets exacerbated, patients may end up relying on a ventilator for support.

Constant coughing

Covid

-19 creates a blockage in the chest, which gets inflamed after the virus’s entry. Right after its entry, SARS-CoV-2 divides and multiplies in the chest linings. This could result in constant coughing. However, Covid-19-related coughing is the one without mucus or phlegm.

Chest pain

SARS-CoV

-2 may cause lethal lung damage that can, in turn, lead to chest pain.

Covid-19 pneumonia

In pneumonia, the lungs become filled with fluid and inflamed, leading to breathing difficulties. Pneumonia that Covid-19 causes tends to take hold in both lungs. Air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid, limiting their ability to take in oxygen and causing shortness of breath, cough, and other symptoms.

Also read: Asymptomatic Covid-19 patients have higher viral loads than symptomatic patients: Study

Sepsis

Another possible complication of a severe case of Covid-19 is sepsis. Sepsis occurs when an infection reaches and spreads through the bloodstream, causing tissue damage everywhere it goes. Sepsis, even when survived, can leave a patient with lasting damage to the lungs and other organs.

Superinfection

When a person has Covid-19, the immune system is working hard to fight the invader. This can leave the body more vulnerable to infection with another bacterium or virus on top of the Covid-19 — a superinfection. More infection can result in additional lung damage, the study added.

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