Lung Issues & Coronavirus

Anyone who has a chronic lung disease is considered at high risk for experiencing complications if infected with the coronavirus, a respiratory virus that can move deep into the lungs.

According to Dr. Albert J. Polito, Chief of Pulmonary Medicine and Medical Director of The Lung Center at Mercy, the vast majority of people who get admitted to the hospital have developed pneumonia and that can progress to respiratory failure requiring ventilators.

“People at risk are very much chronic lung conditions: people with COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer patients who are undergoing treatment for that are in the mix. What's interesting is that asthma, which of course is a very common lung condition, seems to be less of an issue. It doesn't mean that it's zero risk, but when you look at the large-scale epidemiologic studies of who has developed the real complications of this virus, asthma is not a common issue,” Dr. Polito said.

As Dr. Polito noted, you know your body best. If your cough is within the norm of what you have had in the past, don't worry, but if you feel like something is off-kilter, contact your doctor, especially if you have fever.

To view Mercy pulmonary expert Dr. Albert J. Polito’s interview regarding lung health and the coronavirus, COVID-19, click here.