10 Serious Complications Of Coronavirus Infection You Need To Know

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The researchers and scientists are still studying the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to identify what kind of complications it has on a person who is infected by the virus.

As per a January 2020 study finding, infected patients who were mostly men were 49-years-old and had complications like acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute cardiac injury, secondary infection and RNAaemia [1].

Researchers have been stressing on the fact that people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease are at a higher risk of getting coronavirus leading to complications, which may be life-threatening. However, people without any pre-existing health conditions are at a risk of getting the complications too.

Here we have compiled a list of coronavirus complications.

1. Acute respiratory distress syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most common complications of coronavirus. It occurs when fluid builds up in the air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. The build-up of fluid prevents your lungs from filling with enough oxygen causing insufficient oxygen circulation in your bloodstream and other organs, thereby making your body deprived of oxygen [2]. This causes difficulty in breathing and the patient may require a ventilator to breathe to aid in the recovery process.

2. Pneumonia

Another serious complication of coronavirus is pneumonia, an infection which occurs in one or both the lungs. The infection causes inflammation in the air sacs of your lungs, making it difficult for you to breathe.

3. Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia occurs when electrical impulses in the heart work improperly causing your heart to beat either too quickly, too slow or with an irregular pattern. Many patients with COVID-19 suffered from arrhythmia and other heart problems. However, it is not clear whether the coronavirus affects the patient's heart directly or if it occurs due to the COVID-19 illness causing stress on the heart [3].

4. Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that is caused when the body responds to an infection. When the body naturally releases the chemicals into the bloodstream to fight the infection, it can trigger inflammation in the body leading to the damage of multiple organs. In severe cases, sepsis can lead to septic shock.

5. Acute liver injury

Acute liver injury and liver failure are life-threatening complications of coronavirus. It happens when the viral infection attacks the liver cells and it tends to occur in severe cases of COVID-19 [4].

6. Acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury occurs when there is a build-up of waste products in the blood making it hard for your kidneys to maintain the right balance of fluid in the body. Dialysis is given for the kidneys to function properly and to maintain the right amount of fluid in the blood.

7. Disseminated intravascular coagulation

It is a serious condition in which small blood clots develop in the bloodstream, blocking the small blood vessels. As a result, there is a reduction in the blood flow and the blood is unable to reach the organs. When the condition progresses, the platelets and clotting factors, the substances that are responsible for forming blood clots are used up and it can eventually lead to excessive bleeding.
Coagulation disorders have been seen in patients with COVID-19 [5].

8. Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis occurs when there is a breakdown of damaged skeletal muscle tissues. This leads to the release of a protein (myoglobin) into the blood. Excess of myoglobin in the blood can cause kidney damage [6].

9. Secondary infection

Secondary infection is an infection that occurs during or after the treatment of the previous infection, which is unrelated to the first infection you had. In the case of COVID-19, a person can get secondary infection if he/she has been exposed to a viral or bacterial infection while the patient is fighting against or recovering from the COVID-19 illness [7].

10. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is the bleeding that can either happen in the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. The bleeding comes out from the stomach and oesophagus and the level of bleeding may range from mild to severe which can be life-threatening [8].