(HealthyResearch.com) – Most COVID-19 statistics have focused on infections and deaths, which many people have used to gauge the disease’s damage. The numbers we’re not seeing are those recording the devastation among patients who’ve survived.
Reports of new complications keep popping up — and what first looked like a few sets of isolated events could actually be a whole list of serious and even life-threatening after-effects. Here are five complications you should know about.
1. Type 1 Diabetes
A growing body of evidence supports the terrifying possibility that COVID-19 can trigger diabetes in otherwise healthy people. What’s worse, people with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing severe complications from this infection. This means even people who aren’t currently in any high-risk groups could quickly find themselves in one if they fall ill.
2. Kidney Damage
Another high-risk condition COVID-19 can impose on sufferers is renal disease. The inflammatory response the virus causes in some people, known as a cytokine storm, can decimate the kidneys. This leads to acute injury in about 15% of serious cases, with a good portion of that group requiring dialysis, some even experiencing permanent renal damage. Kidney disease is also on the CDC’s list of high-risk conditions that make COVID-19 complications more likely.
3. Heart Disease
Heart disease is also on the CDC’s list — and you guessed it, COVID-19 can cause that, too. Doctors are seeing structural damage, changes in heart rhythms and severe blood clots. Some COVID-19 patients are dying of heart attacks.
4. Brain Damage
COVID-19 can leave lasting damage to the brain, as well. People with pre-existing dementia, epilepsy or a history of brain hemorrhage have higher risks of experiencing this kind of damage. It can lead to psychiatric problems, as well as issues with paying attention and sleeping. People who require the use of a ventilator or sedatives to manage their symptoms also increase their risks.
5. Testicular Damage
This insidious virus could even be affecting male fertility. The same cytokine storm causing all that vital organ damage also appears to be causing testicular damage in some men. One reason for the response could be the high presence of ACE2 receptors in the testes. ACE2, also prevalent in the eyes and throughout the respiratory tract, is like a keyhole for coronaviruses that unlocks the doors into human cells.
COVID-19 is leaving its mark, and in a nasty way. As cases continue to surge through the country, we could see a disturbing spike in disease-related disabilities alongside it. And the devastation is likely to continue until we get a handle on our transmission rate. If we each do our part, we might make an impact on both the number of deaths this disease causes, as well as its lasting effects.
~Here’s to Your Health & Safety!
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