What the coronavirus does to the body

There is a lot of misinformation about the novel coronavirus that's circulating in popular media as well as word of mouth. Some claim that people would eventually become immune to the virus once they are subjected to it. Others argue that the flu is worse. Dr. Mark Hochberg MD believes that people should rely on the words of medical professionals when it comes to this matter as there is no room for opinions in the face of hard science. This is why doctors need to paint a clear picture of what the virus does to the body for people to understand it.

While there are infected people who show little to no symptoms, what goes on inside the body is a different story. When the immune system encounters a virus, it can react in such a way that external stimulants are created. For example, the immune system could trigger a high fever to increase body temperature to help eliminate a threat. Dr. Mark Hochberg MD claims that with the coronavirus, the immune system responds with an assortment of symptoms such as fever, a cough, and shortness of breath, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, and loss of taste or smell.

From the mucus membrane, the virus eventually makes its way down to your respiratory tract after a few days of contracting the virus. This can lead to pneumonia as tiny air sacs inside the lungs get inflamed and have an infection. In severe cases, patients experience acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. ARDS causes rapid breathing, a fast heart rate, dizziness, and profuse sweating. People with ARDS are those who require ventilators to breathe properly.

Eventually, fluid could start filling the lungs of the patient. Dr. Mark Hochberg MD states that once this happens, organs could shut down due to the insufficient supply of oxygen to the body. This is why COVID-19 is especially dangerous for people who have pre-existing conditions.