You probably know already that certain population groups are more susceptible to COVID-19 than others. Additionally, COVID-19 impacts our health far more than the acute stage of the illness itself.
With continued research, medical experts are uncovering more about the behavior of the virus. In this article, we will discuss how COVID-19 affects people with underlying conditions so that you can make pre-informed decisions about your health.
We will also provide more information on how you can keep yourself safe by utilizing the different COVID-19 testing services in Memphis, Germantown, and Winston-Salem.
Let’s dive in.
The Link Between COVID-19 and Other Diseases
COVID-19 symptoms vary widely for different individuals. While some may experience no symptoms at all, people with underlying health conditions may experience severe symptoms from its infection.
Typical pre-existing health conditions that fall within this category include cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, diabetes, and other metabolic syndromes.
Read on to learn about the relationship between COVID-19 and each of these disease conditions.
COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease
Many types of cardiovascular diseases can make you develop serious symptoms from COVID-19. For instance, if you have congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, or coronary artery disease, you’re at risk for severe symptoms of COVID-19.
Beyond having aggravated symptoms, people with cardiovascular diseases have a higher chance of developing severe pneumonia and other severe symptoms. Moreover, people with cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure usually exhibit symptoms that are similar to those of respiratory disorders, which may exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms.
For instance, people with heart failure usually experience shortness of breath as a result of congestion in the chest. This poses a more serious risk if these patients contract COVID-19.
Association Between COVID-19 and Respiratory Disease
COVID-19 targets the respiratory system. Hence, you’re more likely to develop severe symptoms if you have one or more pre-existing respiratory disorders, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, lung cancer, and more. Patients with these conditions already have a compromised respiratory system.
Furthermore, flu-like symptoms related to cold and allergic conditions may also overlap with the symptoms of COVID-19. Appropriate COVID-19 testing is recommended for accurately diagnosing a positive case of COVID-19 from typical respiratory disease or flu.
COVID-19 and Kidney Or Liver Disease
Weakened immune systems are usually associated with chronic kidney or liver disease. In the context of infectious diseases, the immune system plays a large role in protecting individuals from serious illness. Hence, people with kidney or liver disease are at a greater risk of serious illnesses from COVID-19 infection.
Beyond that, having COVID-19 and taking medications to treat liver or kidney disease may have deteriorative effects on either the liver or the kidney. If you have either chronic liver or kidney disease, we recommend that you adhere to safety guidelines to keep yourself safe.
Also, get tested as soon as possible if you have been exposed, so you can begin your quarantine immediately so your recovery period can begin quickly.
The Link Between COVID-19 & Diabetes
Diabetes affects a person’s immune response to infectious diseases. Therefore, people with diabetes are also more likely to develop serious symptoms from COVID-19. Evidence has shown that people with diabetes who contract COVID have a 7.3% higher mortality rate compared to the general mortality rate of 2.3%.
Fortunately, these risks can be avoided by keeping your blood glucose under control and adhering to the medication use regimen of your diabetes medications.
There seems to be a connection between diabetes and obesity, and consequently severe COVID-19 illness. If you’re overweight, try as much as possible to lose weight by engaging in regular physical activity and eating healthily.
How to Keep Yourself Safe if You Have a Pre-existing Condition
Regardless of your pre-existing health condition, keeping yourself safe is recommended for preventing serious illness from COVID-19 symptoms. One of the easiest and most effective ways for keeping yourself safe is through appropriate testing.
Fortunately, you can now get a same-day COVID-testing in Memphis, Germantown, and Winston-Salem. Additionally, in cases where you cannot differentiate COVID-19 symptoms from other types of infections such as flu, the dual flu, and COVID-19 rapid antigen test is now available to differentiate these infections.
For people with pre-existing health conditions, getting tested immediately informs them about their states so they can protect themselves before severe illnesses begin to develop. Fortunately, regardless of the type of test, whether a rapid RT PCR Test, Rapid Antigen Test, or the dual flu and COVID-19 rapid antigen test, you can get your results the same day.
Apart from getting tested for COVID-19, it is also important to always adhere to recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines. That is, continue to practice social distancing, wear a protective mask where necessary such as in public places, and regularly wash your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
As part of additional safety guidelines for individuals with a pre-existing health condition, ensure to have at least a 30-day supply of your regular prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Lastly, whether you have a pre-existing health condition or not, you should consider getting tested so you can keep yourself and your family safe. You will also find getting tested for COVID-19 useful in cases when you need to travel.
Contact Us for COVID-19 Tests In Memphis, Germantown, and Winston-Salem
At Rapid Care, we’re committed to keeping you safe during these trying times by providing you with updated information about COVID-19 and how you can keep yourself and loved ones safe through COVID-19 testing. Feel free to schedule an appointment for same-day COVID-19 testing in Memphis, Germantown, and Winston-Salem.
