Approach to Respiratory System Involvement and the Symptom of Dyspnea in Covid-19 Disease

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic, China at the end of 2019 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, is still a serious public health problem. The international virus taxonomy committee named this virus as SARSCoV-2 and the disease caused by the virus as Covid-19 disease. The disease is transmitted from person to person through droplets. When the infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, the virus found in respiratory secretions is transmitted by direct contact with the mucosa. In addition, it can be transmitted upon bringing one’s hands to the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes after hand-to-hand contact with droplets produced by the coughing and sneezing of a sick individual.The respiratory system is the system most affected by Covid-19 infection. The virus affects the respiratory system in 3 ways: acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with diffuse alveolar damage, diffuse thrombotic alveolar microvascular occlusion, and inflammatory mediator-associated airway inflammation. As a result of these 3 effects of the virus, impaired alveolar oxygenation, hypoxemia, acidosis and, consequently, dyspnea develops. Dyspnea occurs when breathing becomes disturbingly noticeable. Dyspnea is an important symptom that affects the prognosis of Covid-19 disease. The severity of the disease ranges from asymptomatic infection to critical illness. Dyspnea symptoms and respiratory system involvement are more common in critical illness. Primary care physicians should be familiar with respiratory system pathologies caused by the Covid-19 disease.