As of today the novel coronavirus has affected about 5,054,322 people all over the world and caused 327,938 deaths. Coronavirus affects people of all ages, gender, and health differently. Although we do not know all the exact reasons why certain people perform so poorly with COVID-19 infection, we know that untreated chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiac disease, or asthma can lead to worse outcomes, including respiratory failure and death. Untreated conditions make you sicker during COVID-19. If such patients’ conditions are identified and treated earlier, the infection from the virus might have been less severe.
This is not unusual for the hospital to be the first place a patient is told they have an untreated chronic medical illness, such as diabetes or heart disease. Such symptoms are often found accidentally when treating certain illnesses, but they have also progressed to serious consequences such as a diabetic coma or heart attack. Here, prevention plays an important role because such extreme outcomes are preventable. Simple testing at a primary care clinic and routine check-ups will detect such conditions very early before they trigger any serious issue.
Untreated chronic illnesses or conditions have made people extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. If your immune system is already compromised because you are struggling against one major pathogen, you are far more likely to develop a secondary infection. We recognize that the novel coronavirus’ most serious cases cause damage to the lungs, lessening their capacity to provide oxygen to the rest of the body. In these conditions, something that limits the lung capacity — whether it is physical deconditioning, obesity, or smoking — will make recovery even more challenging. Using routine physical exercise to build up your lung strength.
Now is the time for being diligent and taking on the importance of preventive treatment. Clinics are available, and there are also free and low-cost clinics offering preventive services for those who already have medical benefits or feel they can’t afford to see a doctor. Remaining healthy and getting daily exercise in the same vein of prevention. During shelter-in-place orders, when gyms and even several parks are closed, this can sound daunting, but finding an alternative — from online exercise guides or apps to a quick walk or jog outside as the weather warms — is important.
