Science Insider has traced possible scenarios for the development of COVID-19, taking into account the latest data and reports from WHO, as well as analyzes from scientific publications. Check how the coronavirus infection can progress day by day and how long it lasts when symptoms are mild, moderate or severe.
After contracting the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it may take several to several days for the disease to develop. It can be mild or, in extreme cases, lead to the death of the patient. With a good prognosis, the average time from the first symptoms to recovery is around17 days . Science Insider tracked the possible development scenarios for COVID-19 day by day.
According to WHO data collected around the world, also in Poland:
- 80 percent of infections are asymptomatic or mildly, i.e. mildly;
- 20 percent of infections are moderate, medium, severe, and critical and require hospital treatment, with:
- 14 percent are severe cases;
- u 6 percent were in critical condition.
It is worth explaining that:
- mild formCOVID-19 is not like a cold, but can be much more dangerous. All cases that did not require the administration of oxygen were included in this group;
- asmore severe formof the disease all situations where the patient required oxygen therapy due to severe breathing problems;
- critical casesare those that required connection to a ventilator or resulted in multiple organ failure.
Science Insider tried to systematize the course of the disease in each of the four patient groups:
- for those with a very gentle course
- in those with more severe symptoms
- in severely ill patients
- for those in critical condition.
First days - first symptoms
At first, you may think this is the common cold. And it may be, but when you have COVID-19 your symptoms are slightly different and may get worse after a few days.
It may take up to 14 daysbefore the first symptoms appearfrom the moment of infection.
Many patients have complainedfever. According to WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19, it had8 percentof patients, but only44 percenton admission to the hospital, in the rest it appeared later.
About 8 percent of patients complained of digestive symptoms such as
- diarrhea,
- vomiting,
- nausea,
- stomach ache
These occurred a few days before the respiratory symptoms. However, COVID-19 primarily attacks the respiratory system, meaning it begins and ends in the lungs.
In the first few days, the virus travels through the respiratory tract to the lungs, where it penetrates into the cells of the ciliated epithelium, which constitute a physical barrier preventing the penetration of pathogens.
The cells attacked by the virus die and flake off. There is a discharge. The spiral of destruction grows. The more secretion, the more cells are destroyed, and the more cells die, the greater the amount of secretion. This impairs mucociliary cleansing.
This explains why u67.7percent of laboratory-confirmed cases one of the main symptoms of COVID-19 is a dry cough.18percent of the patients had rapid breathing.33percent complained of a large amount of phlegm.
Other symptoms, from the most common to the least frequent, are:
- fatigue
- muscle and joint pain
- high fever
- sore throat
- headache
- chills
- qatar
- conjunctivitis
- loss of taste and smell
- rash
- so-called covid fingers
5. day: shortness of breath
WHO-China reports that dyspnea appeared most often around5. dayfrom infection. But patients usually only check in at around7. on .
The scientific weekly "The Lancet" analyzed that the slightest cases a week after infection could count on recovery. The rest, unfortunately, had to go through mild to severe pneumonia.
7. day: pneumonia
Patients with good prognosis for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia recovered within2-3 weeks .
However, those in a serious condition experienced acute respiratory failure, which is the result of the flooding of most of the lung's respiratory surface with secretions. Some of these patients recovered with oxygen therapy and respirators.
Patients from the last group (in critical condition) required connection to life support devices. Respirators and oxygen masks havethe task of maintaining respiratory function - to deliver more oxygen to the circulatory system, while the lungs are no longer able to cope with it.
There may be times when this doesn't work because the lungs literally sink into the mucus and are unable to oxygenate the blood. It is theleading cause of death in COVID-19.
Read also: Coexisting diseases and COVID-19. Who is most at risk?
After 2 weeks …
Respiratory failure is fatal in 30-40 percent of these most severe cases (Nature Reviews Disease Primers studies), leading to multiple organ failure. Death usually occurs between14. on the 19thday since infection.
Patients who even recovered from critical condition had permanent lung damage. Some patients also suffered from permanent damage to the heart, brain, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders.
People who contracted COVID-19 left hospital after less than3 weeks . In severe cases, however, it may take up to six months to recover.
COVID-19 is easily transferred from one person to another thanks to airborne secretions when sneezing and coughing, making it easy and extremely fast to spread. The best way to protect yourself from getting sick is to wash your hands frequently and avoid those who cough and sneeze, and to disinfect the surfaces we most touch during the day.
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