One of the symptoms of getting the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, is shortness of breath, which explains why ventilators are in such demand right now to help patients breathe as they recover from the disease.
But what exactly does COVID-19 do to the lungs that causes so many problems? Here’s a breakdown specifically of the harm, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
COVID-19 can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS for short, an inflammatory lung condition that causes low oxygen levels in the blood.
It’s a life-threatening condition that often requires treatment by a ventilator. Those suffering from ARDS have damage to the walls of air sacs in their lungs, which help oxygen pass through red blood cells, the experts say.