The most recent version of COVID-19, BA.5, has become the most common strain, which has led to an increase in the disease’s spread throughout the United States. In spite of the fact that it does not appear to be more dangerous than the previous mutations, experts believe that it is the most contagious variant to date. This is a cause for concern due to the fact that it is immune to the body’s defences, and anyone who has been reinfected with the virus is at risk for developing lung problems. Consume This, and Not That! Health met with family practitioner Dr. Janice Johnston, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder at Redirect Health, who explained the warning indications that COVID is damaging your lungs and what you should know about BA.5. Health: Continue reading, and make sure you don’t miss any of these sure signs that you’ve already had COVID in order to protect not only your own health but also the health of others.
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According to Dr. Johnston, a, “A chronic, dry cough is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. On the other hand, persistent coughing that does not get better two to three weeks after an infection can be an indication of a lung problem. Continued coughing is another indication of long-term COVID exposure.”
Dr. Johnston informs us, “Acute chest discomfort may be a sign of serious lung damage caused by COVID or ARDS. ARDS is a sign of lung failure that can lead to lung scarring or potentially have deadly implications. If you are currently exhibiting this symptom, you should get medical assistance as soon as possible.”
According to Dr. Johnston, experiencing shortness of breath is a sign that oxygen is having difficulty entering the lungs of the patient. “This condition can rapidly progress from mild to moderate to severe, and in some cases even fatal. In the event that oxygen support or breathing is required, it is essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible.”
Dr. Johnston elaborates as follows: “Complications with the respiratory system can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to other illnesses. Sepsis is one such illness; in this condition, the virus infects the bloodstream and then targets other organs, such as the heart or the lungs. While it is trying so hard to destroy the virus, your immune system may inadvertently assault healthy organs in its search for a target. Patients who are at high risk need to have their vital signs monitored more frequently by a medical professional in case there are further issues.”
The good doctor continues, “Catching the COVID-19 virus more than once may raise the risk of developing chronic health issues, as indicated by a research that analysed the medical histories of 5.6 million patients who had received treatment through the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Regardless of whether or not the patient required hospitalisation as a consequence of their infection, the findings of the investigation demonstrated that these risks were still present. It has been demonstrated that long-COVID has an effect on virtually every organ in the body; however, the key health concerns that arose were connected to cardiovascular disorders such as strokes, heart failure, and blood clots. These were the results of the primary health concerns that resulted. Additionally, there was a high level of concern regarding mental health issues such as depression, substance misuse, and sleep disorders. When compared to patients who had only been infected once, those who had been infected a second time had a mortality risk that was two times as high as well as three times the likelihood of being admitted to the hospital.”
However, Omicron has numerous subvariants, including BA.2 which has been dominant since May of this year, as stated by Dr. Johnston. “Omicron took over as the dominant variant of COVID-19 in December of last year,” he says. “However, Omicron has had multiple subvariants.” “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in July that another subvariant of Omicron called BA.5 has taken over as the new dominant strain in the United States in more than sixty percent of cases. Concern has been raised about BA.5 because of its capacity for transmission as well as the fact that it is able to avoid the immune response elicited by vaccinations and previous infection. Fortunately, there is not a great deal of evidence to demonstrate that BA.5 is responsible for an increase in the severity of sickness, and data still shows that hospitalizations continue to be lower with this variant than they were with earlier variants such as Delta (source). Vaccine manufacturers are looking into ways to modify their products for use in future doses of booster shots in order to improve protection against new dominant strains of the virus that have emerged in response to laxer public health safety measures and BA.5’s ability to evade various forms of immunity.”
Dr. Johnston elaborates as follows: “A condition known as COVID-19 is an inflammatory disorder that can lead to a number of diseases, ailments, or syndromes that are harmful to the lungs. Patients diagnosed with COVID have been found to suffer from conditions such as pneumonia and bronchitis, as well as long-term consequences that can lead to sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The extent of lung damage is proportional to the severity of the COVID infection itself as well as the capacity of the individual’s overall health to recover and regain lung function. For instance, as a result of advancing age, a person’s lung tissue becomes less elastic, which increases the likelihood that they would suffer from a serious illness.”
According to Dr. Johnston, “A COVID-19 infection can place a person at a much increased risk for developing lung problems; this increased risk can be caused by a number of different circumstances. People who are older in age, such as those in their 50s and beyond, have a larger risk of developing a disease that is more severe than those who are younger in age. Complications such as pneumonia, sepsis, and in the most severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome, were encountered by a significant number of individuals who had lung problems as a consequence of COVID-19. However, people who already have major health concerns, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and asthma that is moderate to severe are at a higher risk of developing severe lung problems that can lead to hospitalisation or even death.”
According to the assertions of Dr. Johnston, “In severe cases of COVID-19, damage to the lungs is a common complication; therefore, it is important to explore what we can do to decrease the severity of the damage. Make sure that you are keeping up with the management of any chronic health conditions that you may have by maintaining regular conversations with your physician and taking your medicine exactly as prescribed. In addition, we would like to emphasise the importance of maintaining a nutritious diet and adequate hydration in order to better prepare your body to fight against infections and speed up the healing of damaged tissues. When COVID-19 causes damage to the lungs, it can take time for them to heal; the time it takes to return completely to normal can range anywhere from three months to a year. If you do sustain harm, just like with any other type of injury, you will most likely require medical attention and therapeutic intervention in order to make your recovery simpler and more expedient.”
Dr. Johnston has disclosed, “It is interesting to note that research has revealed that former smokers who contracted COVID-19 had a higher risk of requiring hospitalisation compared to those who are current smokers or who have never smoked. In addition, the findings of this same study indicated that current smokers had a lower risk of being hospitalised compared to people who had never smoked.”
According to Dr. Johnston, “We have seen a wave of people in the United States become ill as a result of the newly discovered BA.5 variation, which is successfully defying the protection that we have developed via vaccines and previous infections. However, even though we are seeing an increase in the number of cases, researchers in the field of public health now estimate that for every case of COVID-19 that has been documented, there are around seven instances that have not been reported. This is a consequence of the huge effort that was put forth to bring testing into the homes of a large number of Americans, which included the provision of free at-home tests to families by the government. Because more testing is being done at home, there are far fewer cases being reported, unless those cases result in hospitalizations.” And if you want to safeguard your life and the lives of others, you shouldn’t go to any of these 35 places, which have the highest risk of COVID transmission.
