COVID: More Mischief Unraveled

With the COVID outbreak spreading and infecting more people across the world, doctors and scientists are getting to understand the widening spectrum of mischief this virus causes in the body, far beyond just lungs and respiratory passages.

1. Brain and Nerves

Several patients report loss of taste or smell during the phase of illness. These symptoms ascribed initially to involvement of receptors of the tongue and nose, have now been traced to the brain. MRI studies have revealed that regions that receive the taste and smell signals brought there by the cranial nerves show small spots of oedema and nerve degeneration.

Brain involvement has also been found in several patients complaining of headache, disturbed consciousness, loss of memory, tingling sensations and extreme body weakness due to a form of ‘encephalitis’ and neuronal degeneration. Fortunately, these changes regress in most who recover.

2. Muscle and Heart

Another notable feature in a third of patients has been severe muscle aches, pain in limbs and back, and stiffness of the body. Studies have shown the virus to cause damage and swelling of muscles. Severe body aches has been associated with a more severe form of COVID presentation, and higher fatality. The heart is composed of muscles; it is therefore not surprising that several deaths have occurred due to involvement of heart muscles called myocarditis, that occurs in 15% of patients.

3. Intestines and Liver

Up to 50% of patients of COVID report nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and loose stools. Their intestines show swelling and ulcerations, and also involvement of the liver.

Interestingly the virus has been detected in intestines and stools, where it tends to persist longer even when cleared from the throat. This has fuelled speculation whether the feco-oral route (water – food borne route) could also cause spread of COVID.

Doctors are also getting to learn about the new features of COVID infection with each passing day as this virus continue to show its increasing “footprint” on the human body.

Remain updated about the pandemic, but try your best to stay safe!

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