How Coronavirus May Cause Chronic Body Pain

May 1
18:58

2020

stephan braun

stephan braun

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As the novel COVID-19 epidemic spreads across the globe – shutting down schools, cancelling major events, disrupting the stock market and wreaking havoc on travel – people have started to take necessary precautions to reduce the spread of the disease sickening and killing hundreds on a global level.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) and centres for disease and control worldwide advise the general public to be cautious about fever,How Coronavirus May Cause Chronic Body Pain Articles shortness of breath, wheezing, and dry cough. Once you are infected, it takes about 12 days for symptoms to appear. And during this infection phase, you are prone to transmit coronavirus to others passing by or close to you.

In this article, we will share a step-by-step guide on what goes inside the body when the novel coronavirus takes hold.

Coronavirus Infection

According to latest research, the virus can easily spread person-to-person in a setting where they are 6-feet apart as the infected person coughs and sneezes. Besides that, the virus can also remain on objects, and surfaces for hours and can easily be transferred by touch as it enters the body through eyes, nose or mouth.

Researchers are of the opinion that there is a lot to learn about the virus as humans have never been affected by this virus previously. This is why, they are unable to find cure for it. But the underlying presumption is that it shares similarity with SARS-Cov that existed 13 years ago.

Primarily, it is a respiratory virus and hence enters the body through the respiratory tract via the nose. However, it can also be contracted through eyes and mouth because that is precisely how numerous respiratory viruses behave. As the virus enters the body, it poorly attacks internal systems.

Fever, cough and chronic body pain

For a new person to develop symptoms, it can take up to 14 days after the initial exposure to the fatal microbe. On an average, that is about 5 days. As you contract the infection, it begins to spread and affect the epithelial cells present in the lining of the lungs. Followed by that, a protein on the parasite attaches itself to the host receptors and penetrate the cell. Once that happens, the virus then begins to replicate and eventually kills the cell. The process is rapid and spreads throughout the lungs quite swiftly.

Initially, it spreads through the respiratory tract and affects the larynx, mouth and bronchi. The infected person then begins to experience mild symptoms such as wheezing, dry cough, shortness of breath, and chronic pain. It also involves muscular pain that can increase in severity over time.

Some of the contagious disease experts found out that in some patients it may also show symptoms related to gastrointestinal complications. For instance, some patients developed severe nausea and diarrhea but that is quite uncommon and may have been triggered by other factors. Symptoms start to become more severe as the infection spreads towards the lower respiratory tract.

Pneumonia and autoimmune disorders 

The health regulation authorities such as WHO report that 80% of the individuals that contracted the disease showed mild to moderate symptoms. For reference, a case of mild to moderate coronavirus infection involves dry cough and a fever that is more serious than the seasonal flu but may not require mandatory hospitalisation.

Such milder cases are basically the body’s immunity response to contain the virus and flush out toxins. It is natural for younger people to have a stronger immune system fight off the infection. The biggest matter of concern for nations across the globe is protecting the elderly and those with pre-existing autoimmune diseases.

The severe and critical cases of the disease are due to the virus spreading down the lower respiratory track and growing there. Lungs are the biggest target and in some cases, they may develop fibrosis which can be fatal.

As the virus travels drown the respiratory tract towards the lung, it can cause various types of respiratory problems like acute bronchitis, pneumonia and fibrosis. These diseases are characterised by shortness of breath, and constant cough that affects tiny air sacs called alveoli – this is where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged making smooth breathing possible.

As pneumonia occurs, the thin layer surrounding the alveolar cells is destroyed by the virus. The body tackles this by sending white blood cells to fight off the infection. This results in thickening of the lining – the more they thicken the harder it becomes to transport oxygen to the blood as essentially the small air pockets become damaged.

Naturally, it is a war between the host’s response measures and the parasite. The health of the patient depends upon whoever wins the war – affected individuals can either recover or aggravate depending on the host’s immune response.

As the supply of oxygen is restricted to the body; all major organs of the body are deprived of the body including Liver, kidney and brain are deprived of oxygen. This causes them to stop working and prove to be fatal.

In cases that are severe, some patients may develop acute respiratory distress syndrome that may require them to be placed on ventilator to facilitate with constant supply of oxygen to their bodies. That said, if the lungs are damaged beyond repair and the oxygen supply to the body is disrupted then respiratory failure good lead to death.

Dealing with chronic pain

COVID-19 can cause chronic pain and fatigue among the patients. Your body may start hurting for weeks with a convulsive pain cycle. It can be a dull ache or a throbbing pain depending on the severity of the infection. This can interfere with your daily life and take a significant toll on your mental health. If the pain doesn’t seem to go away, it is important for you to seek medical help. Your doctors can also help you find medications to help with the pain relief.

Some other options may include seeking physical therapy, acupuncture, relaxation therapy and certain lifestyle changes such as taking proper sleep and eating healthy can help with dealing with chronic pain.

If you need online essay writing help during the epidemic, then you can remain quarantined and connect with online assignment providers.