COVID-19, lung and respiratory infections

Dr. Cengiz Gökeri, academic staff from the Faculty of Medicine of Cyprus International University (CIU) stated that the immune system, which is the defense mechanism of the body in the fight against bacteria and viruses, is divided into two as the natural immunity which is rapid and innate and the acquired immunity which takes longer to establish and is more specific.

It was mentioned that the methods of protection provided by the natural immunity initiate the inflammatory phase in which symptoms such as cough, sneezing, and expectoration appear, as well as fever, weakness, and edema. The natural immunity often shows enough resistance to microbes, but for a short time.

Dr. Gökeri pointed out that there is a limited time to clear the microbes with the natural immune system, and “it is between 10 and 14 days to fully recover especially in viral infections affecting the lungs. This is because of the acquired immune system taking 7-10 days to develop. At the end of this process, IgG proteins (antibodies), which are effective in the complete neutralization of SARS-CoV-2, are produced and provide us with immunity that can last for years”.

One of the common complications in pneumonia patients is shortness of breath and lung failure. “When the lungs are damaged and lose their elastic capacity, edema occurs as a result of inflammation in the lungs. Pathology of pneumonia is not common in young and healthy individuals, and patients usually recover before symptoms become too severe. Children under the age of 5, elderly people over the age of 60 and people with chronic diseases may need to be treated with the support of respiratory equipment as they are among the risk group of pneumonia," said Gökeri.

Dr. Gökeri pointed out that if the treatment is delayed, the germs can leak into the bloodstream as a result of damage to the lungs and added “this is called sepsis and is one of the most dangerous complications of pneumonia. Due to sepsis, microbes can infect other organs and cause multiple organ failure. For these reasons, especially patients undergoing bacterial pneumonia examination should immediately be started on antibiotics and followed up in a hospital setting”.

He added that, although antibiotics are not effective in viral infections, they are used to treat positive COVID-19 cases to prevent the “super-infection” scenario where bacteria and viruses affect the lungs.