Harmful Effects of COVID-19 on Major Human Body Organs: A Review

Abstract

The world experienced the outbreak of a new pandemic disease in 2019, known as coronavirus (CoV) disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The respiratory system is the organ system most commonly affected by COVID-19; however, several other organ systems have been reported to be affected. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA found in infected stub samples can cause lung contagion by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor of the alveolar epithelial cells. The gut microbiota (GM) promote immunity, indicating that the alignment of the microbiota and corresponding metabolic processes in COVID-19 can help to identify novel biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for this disease. The cause of kidney damage in COVID-19 patients is possibly multifactorial, involving a complex mechanism that involves complement dysregulation and thrombotic microangiopathy, as well as the occurrence of a “cytokine storm” syndrome, which are immune responses that are abandoned and dysfunctional with unfavorable prognosis in severe COVID-19 cases. Furthermore, COVID-19 involves a continuous proliferation and activation of macrophages and lymphocytes. SARS-CoV-2 can also bind to the ACE-2 receptor expressed in the cerebral capillary endothelial cells that can invade the blood-brain wall, to penetrate the brain parenchyma. However, in the ongoing pandemic, there has been a surge in studies on a wide range of topics, including causes of respiratory failure, asymptomatic patients, intensive care patients, and survivors. This review briefly describes the damaging effects of COVID-19 on vital human organs and the inhibitory function of the ACE-2 receptor on the GM, which causes gut dysbiosis, and thus, this review discusses topics that have an opportunity for further investigation.

Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 synonymous codon usage evolution throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans; HKU1, NL63, OC43 and 229E viruses cause seasonal respiratory tract infections with usually mild clinical symptoms (common cold), while S evere A cute R espiratory S yndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), M iddle E ast R espiratory S yndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 can cause severe life-threatening respiratory pathologies and lung injuries ( Andersen et al, 2020 ; Tortorici and Veesler, 2019 ; V'kovski et al, 2021 ). Further, SARS-CoV-2 can present several extrapulmonary manifestations that may affect the urinary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hematological, hematopoietic, neurological, or reproductive systems ( Chowdhury et al, 2021 ; Gavriatopoulou et al, 2020 ; Ramos-Casals et al, 2021 ; Shah et al, 2021 ; Tabary et al, 2020 ; K. I. Zheng et al, 2021 ).…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of COVID-19

“…This progression can lead to moderate illness with pneumonia, and in severe cases, individuals may experience dyspnea and hypoxemia, resulting in blood oxygen levels falling below the critical threshold of 94% [59,60]. The impact of the virus extends beyond the lungs and can damage other organs [61][62][63]. The pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 are presented in Table 1.…”

Comparative Analysis of the Efficiency of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19

“…Treatment guidelines are constantly changing, the virus mutates, and new symptoms of the disease appear. The effect of the disease depends on the immune state of the body; complications arise in the presence of concomitant chronic diseases [ 6 ]. Herbal remedies have low toxicity compared with synthetic drugs and are used in the pharmaceutical industry because of their powerful biological activity.…”