- This handy chart shows all the different ways the novel coronavirus can impact different parts of your body.
- Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and many COVID-19 patients remain lightly symptomatic or asymptomatic for the duration of their illness.
- Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us in different ways. Those who have actually fallen ill have been impacted the most, but even those who battled COVID-19 fought it in different ways.
Initially, symptoms of the viral infection appeared similar to a cold or flu, primarily affecting the lungs. However, it wasn’t long before doctors began reporting other symptoms their patients were experiencing, including problems with their hearts, kidneys, and eyes. Tracking the myriad of different symptoms is challenging, but Elemental put together a well-designed chart to map all the ways the virus affects different parts of the human body.
The chart, posted in a Medium article, offers a chilling look at the long list of symptoms a COVID-19 patient may experience. Check it out below:
https://miro.medium.com/max/2000/1*pm-RbrpPL20_qYv0X_85Nw.png
The data used to build the chart comes from doctors, scientists, and other healthcare professionals from places like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, and a number of scientific institutions and peer-reviewed research papers.
Staring at all the things that can go wrong with a person if they come down with COVID-19 is more than a little frightening, so it’s important to note that not everyone experiences all of these symptoms (or any at all, in some cases). A person’s response to a coronavirus infection is highly individualized and can range from a weak cough or light fever to much more severe symptoms.
Most of these symptoms, taken on their own, could be indicative of countless other health ailments as well. Having a red or purple rash on your toes could be a COVID-19 symptom, or it could be a bad case of athlete’s foot. A sore throat could be the beginnings of a coronavirus infection, or maybe the air in your bedroom is too dry and you should be sleeping with a humidifier on.
My point here is to not let this chart scare you. You can use it as a tool to remind yourself of things to look out for, but don’t jump to any wild conclusions. If you fear you actually have COVID-19, and your symptoms are significant, contact your doctor and from there you can determine the best course of action.
Coronavirus testing is more widely available than it was a month or two ago, and if your doctor feels your symptoms warrant a test, you’ll be directed where to go. In the meantime, do your best to maintain social distancing and wear a mask in public if at all possible.
