Getting Coronavirus Infection Along With This Health Condition Can Put You In Danger

Coronavirus is proving to be a very destructive force, affecting not only the health of people but also adversely impacting the economy. In the UK, the number of cases as of yesterday has risen to 319, while the Italian government has placed 16 million of its residents under quarantine.

Elsewhere, the number of cases continues to rise, with fear and panic taking a foothold in many nations. As a result, stock markets in many countries have started tumbling down. Amidst the widespread panic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the people through ITV’s This Morning and reassured the public that risk to the entire population is minimal. The PM, however, underscored the fact that the elderly population is at greater risk of developing life-threatening complications, which can result from coronavirus infection.

Pre-Existing Conditions

Aside from the elderly, those who have pre-existing health conditions are also at greater risk of developing serious complications from the virus. The British Heart Foundation said that those that have circulatory and heart conditions should be extra watchful as coronavirus threat increases.

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, an Associate Medical Director at the BHF, elaborated on this association. She admitted there is still a lot to know about how coronavirus affects people suffering from existing health conditions.

Information at hand suggests, however, that those with circulatory and heart disease, including cerebrovascular disease, seem to be at an elevated risk of developing complications caused by a coronavirus. Cerebrovascular disease is health issues concerning blood supply to your brain, like stroke.

Highlighting the threat posed to those with cardiovascular conditions, the American College of Cardiology last month revealed that 40% of COVID-19 patients in hospitals suffer from cardiovascular disease. Some of them suffered from cerebrovascular disease.

According to Orly Vardeny, a University of Minnesota associate professor of medicine, this revelation does not mean people suffering from heart disease are more prone to contracting coronavirus. This simply means that these patients are more likely to develop serious complications once they do get infected.

The Target Of The Virus

The main target of the virus is your lungs. It could also, however, affect your heart, particularly if you have a diseased heart, which has to work double-time to pump oxygenated blood throughout your body. Orly said that you could view it as something that is taxing your entire system.

This could aggravate problems for someone with cardiovascular problems, where the heart is already experiencing problems in pumping efficiently. Those suffering from an underlying heart issue also might have a weak immune system. Added to this is the age factor, where immune systems weaken as you advance in age.

For those suffering from chronic medical conditions, the immune response of their bodies is not as strong when exposed to viruses. According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses also cause more serious complications and symptoms in people suffering from diabetes and those that have long-term conditions like cancer or lung disease.