How does COVID-19 affect your lungs?

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The virus infects your airways and damages your lungs. To fight off the infection, your immune system causes inflammation, which can also cause damage and allow fluid to leak into the small air sacs of your lungs. This is called pneumonia.

Can you get pneumonia when infected with COVID-19?

Yes, you can get pneumonia when infected with COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19 can infect your lungs, causing pneumonia. Sometimes you can also get infected with a bacteria that causes pneumonia while your immune system is weakened (this is called a superinfection). If you’re on a ventilator to help you breathe while you’re sick with COVID-19, you’re at higher risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Are COVID pneumonia and COVID-19 different illnesses?

COVID-19 and COVID pneumonia are best described as different stages of the same illness. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and COVID pneumonia is a complication of COVID-19 that causes inflammation and fluid in your lungs.

What’s the difference between COVID pneumonia and other pneumonias?

All pneumonias cause inflammation and fluid in your lungs. But research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID pneumonia moves differently through your lungs than other viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia. COVID pneumonia spreads across your lungs slowly, using your own immune system to spread, which means it tends to last longer and cause damage in more places. Other pneumonias cause acute disease — symptoms come on all at once — but don’t last as long.

At Dr A&N lung and skin specialty clinic, we are dedicated in helping you achieve your healthy lifestyle. Our clinics are in Whitefield, Kondapur, HITEC City, Hyderabad. The clinics are equipped with state of the art technology in respiratory area and our team comprises of experienced professionals who ensures the patient comfort and safety throughout the process.