Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauseSymptomsRisk FactorsDiagnosisTreatmentComplicationsPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Cause
Symptoms
Risk Factors
Diagnosis
Treatment
Complications
Prevention
COVID pneumonia is a complication ofCOVID-19in which the air sacs of the lungs fill with fluid or pus. Though COVID-19 is mainly restricted to the upper airways in around 80% of cases, 20% involve potentially severe lower respiratory complications, includingpneumonia.
Symptoms of COVID pneumonia are the same as other types of pneumonia and typically involve a “wet” productive cough with mucus, fever, extreme fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Severe COVID pneumonia is associated with a high risk of death.
The article describes the causes and symptoms of COVID pneumonia and how the condition is diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
Calvin Chan Wai Meng / Getty Images
Can COVID Cause Pneumonia?
At the end of the airways are tiny air sacs calledalveoliwhere oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood are exchanged.When alveoli are overwhelmed with fluids, pus, or mucus, oxygen cannot get into the blood, and carbon dioxide cannot be removed from the blood. This is pneumonia.
COVID-19 occurs when the virus gets into the airways and attaches to receptors on the airway walls called ACE2 receptors. In most people, the density of ACE2 is highest in the upper airways, including thetrachea(windpipe),pharynx(throat), and nasal passages. Because of this, the infection and symptoms are largely confined to the upper airways.
But in some people, there is a high expression of ACE2 in the lower respiratory tract, including the larger airways known asbronchiand the smaller branches calledbronchioles. In these people, the infection can migrate and establish an infection within the lungs, leading to pneumonia.
This is especially true in people withweakened immune systemsand certain pre-existing medical conditions.
COVID-19 and Pre-Existing Conditions: Understanding Your Risk
COVID Pneumonia Symptoms
Although the symptoms of COVID pneumonia are the same as other types of infectious pneumonia, people with COVID-19 will often experience an easing of upper respiratory tract symptoms as damage to the alveoli and lower respiratory tract gets worse.
At this stage, the primary symptoms are those associated withhypoxemia(low blood oxygen) andhypoxia(low oxygen in tissues).
Symptoms of COVID pneumonia typically include:
COVID-19 Cough With Mucus
Risk Factors for COVID Pneumonia
Some of the risk factors associated with COVID pneumonia cannot be seen, such as the density of ACE2 receptors in the airways. But there are other risk factors that statistically place you at risk of COVID pneumonia, including:
On top of this, there are underlying medical conditions that place you at risk of a variety of COVID-19 complications, including pneumonia:
How Common is COVID Pneumonia?A study published in theCanadian Medical Association Journalevaluated the medical records of 70,288 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States and reported that pneumonia was the number one complication overall, accounting for 27.6% of cases.
How Common is COVID Pneumonia?
A study published in theCanadian Medical Association Journalevaluated the medical records of 70,288 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States and reported that pneumonia was the number one complication overall, accounting for 27.6% of cases.
COVID Depression: Understanding the Connection and How to Cope
How is COVID Pneumonia Diagnosed?
COVID pneumonia is diagnosed in the same way as other forms of pneumonia.
With that said, many people with COVID pneumonia are not diagnosed with COVID-19 until they seek emergency care. And this can present a diagnostic challenge as the number of viruses in nasal secretions (known as the viral load) characteristically decrease as the number of viruses in the airway increases.
In such cases, a nasal swab test may be negative for COVID-19, and the virus may only be detected in phlegm coughed up from the lungs.
The process of diagnosing pneumonia typically involves:
How Pneumonia Is Diagnosed
How COVID Pneumonia Is Treated
The treatment of COVID pneumonia is typically aggressive given the high risk of mortality (death) in hospitalized people.
Treatment options include:
How COVID-19 Is Treated Today
Pneumonia Recovery
After hospitalization from COVID pneumonia, there are things you can do to speed recovery while you are at home:
How Long Does COVID Pneumonia Last?According to a 2021 study from Northwestern University, COVID pneumonia lasts longer than many other types of pneumonia. This is because the virus appears to disrupt communications between immune cells and interfere with a coordinated immune response. Rather than days, a person with severe COVID pneumonia can sometimes be hospitalized for weeks.
How Long Does COVID Pneumonia Last?
According to a 2021 study from Northwestern University, COVID pneumonia lasts longer than many other types of pneumonia. This is because the virus appears to disrupt communications between immune cells and interfere with a coordinated immune response. Rather than days, a person with severe COVID pneumonia can sometimes be hospitalized for weeks.
COVID pneumonia tends to affect both lungs, and it may leave damage that persists for years after the infection. But it is not just the lungs that are affected.
According to a 2019 study published in the journalCMAJ,the three most common complications in people with severe COVID pneumonia include:
Risk of Death from COVID PneumoniaPeople who are critically ill with COVID pneumonia and require mechanical ventilation have a mortality rate of roughly 55%, according to a 2021 study in theJournal of Critical Care Medicine.
Risk of Death from COVID Pneumonia
People who are critically ill with COVID pneumonia and require mechanical ventilation have a mortality rate of roughly 55%, according to a 2021 study in theJournal of Critical Care Medicine.
How to Prevent COVID Pneumonia
The best way to prevent COVID pneumonia is to avoid getting COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best ways to do this are to:
Should I Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an updatedPfizer-BioNTechorModerna COVID-19vaccine, regardless of whether they’ve received any original COVID-19 vaccines.
Should I Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an updatedPfizer-BioNTechorModerna COVID-19vaccine, regardless of whether they’ve received any original COVID-19 vaccines.
Summary
COVID pneumonia is a potentially life-threatening complication of COVID-19 that is most common in older adults, and people with obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. It tends to last longer than other types of pneumonia and often requires prolonged hospitalization.
The treatment of COVID pneumonia is typically aggressive and may involve antiviral drugs, antibiotics, supplemental oxygen, corticosteroids, and lung aspiration. The best way to prevent COVID pneumonia is to avoid getting COVID-19, which includes getting the COVID vaccines.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19: how to protect yourself and others.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
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