If your COVID-19 infection starts to cause pneumonia, you may notice things like:
Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath or breathlessness
Rapid breathing
Dizziness
Heavy sweating
COVID-19 can cause lung complications such as pneumonia and, in the most severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS.
• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
COVID-19 can cause lasting damage to multiple organs, including the lungs, heart, kidneys, liver and brain. SARS CoV-2 first affects the lungs through the nasal passages. When the lungs are severely affected, it can affect the heart.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, most commonly affects the lungs but It can also lead to serious heart problems. Lung damage caused by the virus prevents oxygen from reaching the heart muscle, which in turn damages the heart tissue and prevents it from getting oxygen to other tissues.
Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unusual following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination.
"Some symptoms of COVID-19 linger longer than others," says Dr. Septimus. "In particular, fatigue and loss of taste and smell can persist beyond the period of contagion."
While uncomfortable and/or inconvenient, Dr. Septimus adds that these lingering symptoms aren't too worrisome for most people.
“The first is the severity of the coronavirus infection itself — whether the person has a mild case, or a severe one,” Galiatsatos says. Milder cases are less likely to cause lasting scars in the lung tissue.