Popular advice often involves dismissing illnesses if they appear mild. Most people, therefore, do not worry too much about them but evidence suggests that the same should not be done for a mild case of coronavirus.
Although reports from the World Health Organization show that around 80% of reported coronavirus cases worldwide are either asymptomatic or mild, evidence shows that even those can prove dangerous. Many people previously believed, mild coronavirus cases prove safer but the contrary is being reported as more and more virologists research the behavior of this virus.
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Throughout the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been a widely held belief that a mild case of coronavirus does not need ICU stays. Most hospitals also gave priority to more severe cases of coronavirus as wards reached their maximum capacity. The latest medical research however suggests from the evidence provided by recovery support groups, that mild and seemingly harmless cases of coronavirus do not end up so lucky in the long run.
Their findings suggest that such patients suffer from long-lasting side-effects brought by the virus and doctors are still trying to understand how.
Dr. Christopher Kellner is a professor of neurosurgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He says side effects can prove fatal in some people. From his experience, a mild case that does not receive hospital attention can lead to the patient developing blood clots. He says these blood clots are then responsible for severe strokes in patients as young as only 30 years old. This is a cause for concern as previously mild cases did not seem as dangerous as they are.
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In May, Kellner says Mount Sinai Hospital carried out a plan to solve this issue. The hospital implemented a plan to administer anticoagulant drugs to mild sufferers of COVID-19 to reduce the risk of strokes. This particular plan aimed to help younger patients and especially those who had mild or no symptoms that they could observe.
As more and more research carries out on the effects brought by a coronavirus, Doctors are now growing the list of which areas coronavirus most affect in a person. They understand now that coronavirus affects blood, kidneys, liver, and the brain and not just the lungs as was previously believed. Patients may also potentially suffer from depression and chronic fatigue among other symptoms.
It is important to keep in mind however that the virus has only been around for less than a year and it is very less time to properly report long-term effects on such organs. Regardless of that fact, these issues may appear in both those who have been hospitalized and those who weren’t. This can also consequently prove a hurdle on their paths to recovery.
Another aspect of this illness is those who have suffered for several months with symptoms that seem to endure more and more. A Dutch report that came this month reported such findings. Researchers from the report surveyed 1,622 Covid-19 patients who were around the age of 53. Findings from the survey showed that 88% of the people report intense fatigue, 75% report being short of breath and 45% complain of chest pressure.
What’s interesting to note is that 91% of patients who partook in the survey qualified as mild cases of coronavirus and were not hospitalized. This data suggests that people who appear to only have mild symptoms of COVID-19 could still display worrying signs of serious illness.
People should, therefore, pay caution if they think their case is also a mild case of coronavirus because, despite popular belief, it can prove lethal if left untreated.
