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Covid-19: Extraordinary lung disease
The Sars-CoV-2 virus is unusual: not only that it spreads very quickly. The effects that Covid-19 can have on the lungs are also extremely surprising. Sars-CoV-2 is more infectious than researchers initially thought. Because it starts in the throat, not deep in the lungs. So it can spread particularly quickly. But in severe cases, the virus can continue to migrate down and then cause major damage to the lungs. What exactly happens when the virus has arrived in our lungs? And what distinguishes the course of the disease from pneumonia , i.e. “normal” pneumonia?
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This is what happens with Covid-19 pneumonia
Unusual: This is what distinguishes Covid-19 from regular pneumonia
Doctors find this symptom unusual: Some patients suffering from Covid-19 felt like they could breathe normally. And this despite the fact that tests were able to show a clear lack of oxygen in her body. Doctors suspect the following reason for this: the lungs remain elastic for a surprisingly long time during Covid-19. This is not the case with classic severe pneumonia. This is where fluid quickly accumulates in the lungs, causing the lung tissue to become stiffer and making it harder to breathe. This does not appear to be the case with Covid-19, at least initially. Air-filled areas remain in the lungs for a relatively long time.
Another unusual aspect of pneumonia caused by Sars-CoV-2 is the lack of oxygen in the blood. So although there is still enough oxygen in the lungs, it does not get into the blood. How so? Doctors suspect that this is due to the many foci of inflammation in the lungs. There, the affected vessels dilate so much that they absorb a particularly large amount of blood. Accordingly, there is too much in these places, while the healthy parts are not supplied with enough blood to compensate for the lack of oxygen. This in turn leads to increased respiratory rate and drowsiness, which is why ventilators are often required in severe cases of Covid-19.
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Corona: Strengthen and protect the lungs
Luckily, our lungs are resilient organs. Even after severe inflammation, it normally regenerates and heals itself. However, there are a number of things we can do (especially preventively) to support it:
- Quitting smoking: In fact, one cigarette restricts the lungs in their cleansing function for a full eight hours.
- Exercising regularly: If you keep moving at least by going for a walk every day, you help to strengthen your lungs.
- Fresh air: Even if we are currently forced to spend a lot of time in the house and apartment – we should at least go outside once a day! Fresh air works wonders for our lungs.
