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Some patients who have been seriously ill on covid-19 have testified on a dual course. In the first phase, the disease is experienced as a common respiratory infection, then a period of improvement comes, and then a second phase occurs with significantly more severe symptoms.
This is a pattern that infectious doctors in Swedish hospitals have also seen.
– Many of those who are seriously ill appear to have this double disease. Absolutely not everyone understands it, but of the covid-19 patients we see being in the hospital, I’d say it’s pretty clear that many have it, says Hedvig Glans, deputy medical director of the infection clinic at Karolinska University Hospital. at Huddinge
From cough to shortness of breath
Why the course of action is pronounced, doctors cannot respond today.
– What one suspects is that there will be a strong inflammatory reaction. We can see that in the blood samples as they enter, both the inflammation and infection parameters are affected and elevated. We don’t see any signs that there is anything bacterial besides viral disease, but it seems more than the immune system is working properly.
Typical symptoms in the first phase are cough, sore throat, snoring, fever (but not necessarily), and body pain. Some also have sensations such as tingling or numbness in the body. Some may also temporarily lose their sense of smell and taste.
In the second phase, respiratory problems arise.
– You have difficulty breathing, you feel short of breath, the cough remains, some may experience pressure on the chest, almost like chest pain, and some may feel pain when breathing. It is very important that you hurt the lungs, etc. It is the lungs that are affected, says Hedvig Glans.
Various question marks
The knowledge of covid-19 is still developing and it is frustrating for doctors not to understand what the virus is doing to the body.
– Why do you get these weights and annoyances, for example? It is not something we see for other viruses and therefore we cannot use the knowledge of other viruses and say that “there should be something similar here,” says Hedvig Glans.
Another question mark is why some seriously ill people have blood clots in their lungs.
– There are enough people to make him feel alarming. It’s also not something we’ve seen in other viral infections that cause pneumonia. We know that many people seeking hospital care get it, which is scary, even if we do our best to prevent it with blood-thinning drugs and detect blood clots with X-rays. But why it happens, we don’t know, says Hedvig Glans.
Unique situation
Working as a doctor in this situation, with a new illness caused by a new virus and with no known medications, is difficult, she says.
– It is intense and strenuous because you are used to being able to do much more and have much more knowledge. No less important when explaining to those who are sick. We do not have the complete image ready and we cannot answer everything.
It is a very unique situation, she notes.
– In some aspects, we can deduce past experiences, but in many other situations we do not understand this virus. There are many question marks and of course it is also challenging and exciting from an infection perspective. So it’s a mix of horror and fascination, says Hedvig Glans.
The vast majority of people infected with the new coronavirus become slightly ill with respiratory symptoms that pass on their own.
