It is not well known but Coronavirus disease (Covid) infection can cause huge impact on the health of our vital organs.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the reason of Covid, may also cause a heart attack. The virus is known to have the ability to invade the heart via the myocardium (heart muscles) causing myocarditis or inflammation of heart which would lead to irregular heart beat and sudden death. This is why some physicians opt for getting real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on patients who die without showing classic Covid symptoms such as respiratory infection or fever.
Covid may also cause stroke. The virus that causes stroke may send a patient into a hypercoagulable state. It means that your blood can clot anytime. Blood clots can travel to any blood vessel. If it travels to your brain and clogs the brain’s artery, it causes cardiovascular disease (CVD) infarct or stroke. The severity of stroke would depend on the number of blood vessels involved and the size of blood clots.
The size of blood clots and the number of blood vessels involved are directly proportional to the severity of stroke. Blood clots can also travel to the lung’s artery causing pulmonary embolism and sudden death. This is another reason physicians will request for RT-PCR test for a patient who dies suddenly, especially without presenting any classical symptoms of Covid infection.
The kidney could also affected by Covid. A patient with Covid may suffer from acute kidney disease (AKI). The symptoms include having blood in the urine or an increased level of protein in the urine.This complication is due to the release of excessive immune cytokines causing collateral damage to the kidney. Another cause of AKI is the direct viral toxicity to the kidney cells.
Some AKIs are so severe that some patients will require dialysis in order to survive. Dialysis will serve as their temporary kidney while waiting for their AKI to subside.
Covid can also go as far as impacting muscles and bones. The virus may enter the bone and muscle cells causing inflammation and apoptosis (cell death) leading to decreased bone and muscle mass. The virus also releases inflammatory substances that prevent protein synthesis needed in the repair of bones and muscles. This is the reason patients with severe and critical Covid complain of general weakness months or even years after recovering from the disease.
These are just some dreaded extra-pulmonary manifestations of Covid which is not generally known by the public.
So it is really better to be informed.