The Impact of COVID-19 On Comorbidities: A Review Of Recent Updates For Combating It

Abstract

Coronavirus disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus first appeared in Wuhan (China) in December 2019 and has spread globally. Till now, it affected 269 million people with 5.3 million deaths in 224 countries and territories. With the emergence of variants like Omicron, the COVID-19 cases grew exponentially, with thousands of deaths. The general symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, sore throat, cough, lung infections, and, in severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and death. SARS-CoV-2 predominantly affects the lung, but it can also affect other organs such as the brain, heart, and gastrointestinal system. It is observed that 75 % of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have at least one COVID-19 associated comorbidity. The most common reported comorbidities are hypertension, NDs, diabetes, cancer, endothelial dysfunction, and CVDs. Moreover, older and pre-existing polypharmacy patients have worsened COVID-19 associated complications. SARS-CoV-2 also results in the hypercoagulability issues like gangrene, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and other associated complications. This review aims to provide the latest information on the impact of the COVID-19 on pre-existing comorbidities such as CVDs, NDs, COPD, and other complications. This review will help us to understand the current scenario of COVID-19 and comorbidities; thus, it will play an important role in the management and decision-making efforts to tackle such complications.

Keywords: ACE-2, Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2; AD, Alzheimer’s Disease; AIA, Avian Influenza A; AMI, Acute Myocardial Infarction; ANE, Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy; ARBs, Angiotensin receptors blockers; BP, Blood pressure; CAP, Community-Acquired Pneumonia; CDCP, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; CF, Cardiac failure; CHD, Coronary heart disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVDs, cardiovascular diseases; CVS, Cardiovascular; Comorbidities; Complications; DIC, Disseminated intravascular coagulation; DM, Diabetes Mellitus; FLAIR, Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery; G+C, Guanine + Cytosine; GBS, Guillain-Barre Syndrome; HCQ, Hydroxychloroquine; HLH, Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis; HT, Hypertension; ICUs, Intensive care units; IVIG, Intravenous immunoglobin, KIMII-Kawasaki-identical to multisystem inflammatory illness; KMS, Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome; MI, Myocardial infarction; Mortality; NDs, Neurological disorders; NSTEMI, Non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction; PCI, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; PD, Parkinson’s Disease; PPE, Personal protective equipment; RNS, Reactive Nitrogen Species; ROS, Reactive oxygen species; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; SEM, Scanning electronic microscope; SIRS, Systemic inflammatory response syndrome; STEMI, ST-elevated myocardial infarction; Variants; pRb, Retinoblastoma protein.