What Happens After Coronavirus Enters The Body? Everything You Need To Know

Sunday, April 26, 2020, 23:18

Scientists are still studying the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)and with each passing day, multiple studies are surfacing about the virus that has infected 2,830,082 people and caused 197,246 deaths worldwide.

Seeing the SARS-CoV-2's highly contagious nature, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared coronavirus a pandemic disease. We all know how fast the coronavirus spreads from one infected person to another, but one thing that many of us don't know is what happens when the virus enters the human body and how it affects other organs.

We will explain it here.

what happens when you get the coronavirus disease

How Does Coronavirus Enter The Body?

The coronavirus spreads through the water droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes and these water droplets stay in the air or settle on a surface that you touch before touching your eyes, nose or mouth. This makes the virus easier to enter through the mucous membranes and then moving down your respiratory tract. The respiratory tract includes your mouth, nose, throat and lungs [1].

When an infected person comes in close contact i.e within one metre with someone, the water droplet transmission occurs. Also, the virus transmission may happen through fomites. Therefore, the virus can enter your body either through direct contact or indirect contact.

What Happens After Coronavirus Enters The Body?

Coronaviruses are large, enveloped positive sense RNA viruses that have a diameter ranging from 60 nm to 140 nm. The virus has spike-like projections on its surface, which gives it a crown-like appearance if seen under an electron microscope.

The virus infects your body by binding to the healthy cells through the help of their spikes, which allows the virus to attach to the healthy cells strongly.

According to a study published in the journal Annual Review of Virology, coronavirus latches themselves to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors present on the surface of the healthy cells and enter the human body [2]. Then, it starts making multiple copies of itself and multiplies throughout the body, killing some of the healthy cells and eventually causing damage to several organs.

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What Organs Are Affected By Coronavirus?

Once the coronavirus starts latching to the healthy cells of the host, it eventually starts damaging lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, stomach and intestines.

• Lungs

Since the coronavirus is a respiratory illness, the lungs are affected first. The lungs may become inflamed, making it difficult for you to breathe. And this can lead to further complications like pneumonia, an infection that causes inflammation in the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a condition in which fluid collects in the air sacs of the lungs and sepsis, a disease that affects the lungs and other organs [3], [4].

• Liver

Coronavirus causes the liver cells to become inflamed or damaged and this, in turn, leads to the leakage of more than normal amounts of enzymes into the bloodstream. A study report found that people with severe cases of COVID-19 showed more signs of liver injury [5].

• Kidney

Coronavirus causes inflammation in the kidneys as well. Acute kidney injury has been reported in people with severe cases of COVID-19.

• Heart

Coronavirus can affect the heart and blood vessels, which may further cause irregular heartbeats and the blood flow to other parts of the body may stop. So, people with heart disease should take extra care of themselves.

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• Stomach and intestines

According to a CDC report, some people with coronavirus disease have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhoea and nausea before the onset of symptoms such as fever and lower respiratory tract symptoms [6].

To Conclude...

Coronavirus is a highly contagious virus that can affect your body in different ways, by causing damage to the organs like the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, stomach and intestines.

Protect yourself by incorporating necessary precautionary measures like washing hands with soap and water frequently, maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and washing fruits and veggies before cooking them.