A disease once thought to affect lungs is now seen as a systemic illness that targets virtually every part of the body.
Our perception of COVID-19 has changed dramatically over the past five months. What was initially thought to be a disease that affected the lungs, it is now seen as a systemic illness that targets virtually every part of the body. “Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) preferentially infects cells in the respiratory tract,” write researchers who published an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine in May. They found that “SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in multiple organs, including the lungs, pharynx, heart, liver, brain, and kidneys.”
The ears, nose and mouth
The nose, eyes and mouth are where the COVID-19 virus enters when a person comes in contact with someone who is sick and is expelling droplets by talking or coughing. They may also acquire virus particles by touching objects that are contaminated with infected droplets and then touching their mouth or eyes. The reason, says researchers, is that we all have ACE receptors in our nasal and respiratory tracts which are proteins that bind with the spike contained on the surface of the virus, allowing it to invade and copy itself.
The brain
The massive inflammation brought on by COVID-19 can increase stroke risk, researchers have found. Scientists in a July 2020 JAMA Neurology study found that COVID-19 patients had a heightened risk of stroke compared to patients who had the flu. In fact, 32 of 1916 COVID-19 patients had a stroke, versus three who had the flu. Three per cent of 214 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China also had a stroke. In addition to stroke, new evidence published in the Lancet Neurology is emerging suggesting that COVID-19 can also cause dementia-like symptoms.
The lungs
The lungs are where COVID-19 can set up shop — quickly — causing oxygenation rates to fall dramatically. The lungs begin to fill with fluid and become inflamed as soon as a few days after infection, leading to the hallmark cloudy x-rays of COVID-19 lungs. The virus can cause lung complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is life-threatening as the lungs cannot supply enough oxygen to keep the body working. Sepsis can also occur, according to Johns Hopkins University, which means the body’s immune system overreacts and attacks the body’s organs.
The heart
New research suggests the virus can lead to an infection of the heart or inflammation of the heart muscle. In two studies published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, researchers found that widespread inflammation brought on by the disease may have caused heart damage due to blood clots. These clots can obstruct blood flow to the heart from the arteries.
One JAMA study found that 78 per cent of adults who had recovered from COVID-19 had some type of heart involvement and 60 per cent had ongoing cardiac inflammation.
The kidneys
The kidneys are vulnerable to COVID-19. Up to 30 per cent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in China and New York experienced moderate or severe kidney injury, according to John Hopkins. Doctors believe that the virus attaches itself to kidney cells as they have receptors they can access. Once attached, the virus can replicate and damage the kidneys. There have been many reports of people, many without any previous kidney issues, requiring dialysis after getting COVID-19.
The gastrointestinal tract
COVID-19 patients often experience GI symptoms such as pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Researchers who published a meta-analysis of 29 studies in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology found 15 per cent of COVID patients reported nausea or vomiting, diarrhea and lack of appetite. Other research finds that the virus replicates in the GI tract.
The liver
The liver can also be hit hard by coronavirus. Researchers who conducted a meta-analysis found that 19 per cent of patients from 12 studies had abnormal liver enzyme levels — with blood tests revealing high levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase — which indicate liver damage, according to the CDC.
The skin
You may have heard of COVID toes — red or purple rashes that show up on the toes of COVID patients, many of them children. Red blotches have also showed up on fingers as well following infection. Researchers theorize that tiny blood clots may occur in the tiny capillaries of the toes and fingers, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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