COVID-19 affects heart, lungs and brain: Qld’s chief health officer’s warning

As coronavirus continues to spread around the world, a top doctor has issued a stern warning as to why restrictions are needed.

“COVID-19 affects every single cell in the body.”

That was the blunt message from Queensland’s chief health officer on Monday in a bid to help more people understand why such tough measures remain in place to stop the spread of the virus.

Dr Jeannette Young said coronavirus was no longer considered a respiratory disease.

“That might be how it’s transmitted in the main, but it’s not flu,” she said.

Dr Young said while the influenza virus would kill a small number of people each year, most would survive and completely recover.

“That’s not the case with this disease,” she said.

“We’re seeing more and more people who get this infection who don’t fully recover.”

Queensland man Richard Misior contracted COVID-19 in March while aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

The 81-year-old, who remains in hospital, has spent more time in hospital battling the virus than anyone else in the sunshine state.

Dr Young said she believed the reason some people were opposed to the tough restrictions was because they didn’t understand the long-term impacts the disease could have.

“That’s been possibly a failing in getting that information out to people,” she said.

VIDEO: The long-term effects of coronavirus on the body

“It affects every single cell in the body and leaves long-lasting problems for different organs in the body, whether that be the heart, the kidney, the brain or the lungs.”

The world-renowned Mayo Clinic states COVID-19 has been shown to damage the heart muscle, even in mild cases, which could increase the risk of heart failure or other complications later in life.

It can also cause strokes, seizures and Guillain-Barre syndrome, and could increase the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, resulting in paralysis.

Dr Young said that’s why the concern was so great; it wasn’t just about people dying.

“This is about people not getting the disease,” she said.

Queensland’s top doctor also said the reason social distancing was so important was because it was now known someone could transmit the virus up to 72 hours before they developed symptoms.

The latest warning came as the state recorded its second day in a row with no new COVID-19 cases.