Consult Top COVID-19 Specialist Online

Coronavirus binds to an enzymatic receptor called ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2) which is present in all the cells and hence its infection causes symptoms that involve many organs. The main symptoms are:

• Fever
• Blocked or runny nose
• Sore throat
• Nasal discharge dripping behind throat
• Generalized fatigue
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Dry coughing
• Loss of sensation of taste and smell
• Sneezing
• Swelling and reddening of the toes and the fingers
• Breathing difficulties

In children, symptoms of the mysterious Kawasaki disease are also appearing due to coronavirus infection. These symptoms are:

• Joint pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Red eyes without any discharge
• A rash on the trunk and in the genital area
• Cracked lips
• An extremely red and swollen tongue
• Red skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Irritability
• Peeling of the skin on the hands and feet

Although the chances are very less, it is not impossible for the coronavirus infection to strike again. The virus is a mutating one and hence its infective power can differ than the earlier attack. One should not get complacent at all after getting recovered from the infection and utmost care should be taken.

Coronavirus usually spreads when it enters into the body through nose or mouth and get deposited on the mucous membranes. When an infected person speaks, salivary droplets of varying sizes are formed which can travel in the air by remaining suspended. These droplets can pack the virus and carry them for long distances where they get deposited. When a person comes in contact with the virus, it can enter the body. Therefore social distancing is one of the main preventive measures that can help to prevent the occurrence of infection. According to a study by Japanese researchers, the salivary droplets that are very small in size can travel up to almost 20 feet before settling on the ground by remaining suspended in the air for quite a long time.

Since coronavirus enters the cells of humans by binding onto an enzymatic receptor called ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2) which is present in all the cells, it can cause myriad of symptoms which can highly vary among individuals. The less common symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Swelling and redness in the toes and fingers of legs
• Kawasaki disease like manifestations in children

Research done till now has showed that coronavirus infection doesn’t have any detrimental effect to the growing baby in a pregnant female. But as the virus is new and very little data is available, it is impossible to come to a definite conclusion as to what are the long term effects of the infection on the developing baby.

Coronavirus has a very high mutation rate and there may be other strains. But the pathogenicity of this new strain still remains to be established.

People believe that steam inhalation can kill coronavirus and lot of such messages are made viral on social media. But the truth is that there are no studies to back such a claim and such advices should be taken with a pinch of salt. There are many other benefits of steam inhalation but what exactly is the effect on coronavirus, still remains to be understood.

Those who lose the sensation of taste and smell in coronavirus infection generally have better prognosis than those whose lungs are affected. The mechanism by which it causes such an effect is still unknown.