Coronavirus in chronic diseases
In the vast majority of cases, coronavirus infection is mild. But, if it occurs against the background of chronic diseases, the consequences can be severe. Let’s find out in which cases COVID-19 is fraught with complications

With the emergence of new strains of coronavirus, the severity of the infection is constantly changing. Often, even young people who have practically no serious health problems get sick. But it has already been proven that in the presence of chronic diseases, coronavirus infection is much more dangerous.1

According to statistics, most deaths from coronavirus are among the elderly and patients with chronic pathologies.

What chronic diseases are dangerous with coronavirus

In general, with a coronavirus infection, any chronic diseases are dangerous, but experts identify several groups of pathologies in which complications appear most often, they are dangerous and can be fatal.2.

  • Asthma and chronic lung disease.

With these pathologies, there is already chronic inflammation in the bronchi. Against the background of infection with a coronavirus infection, the inflammatory process intensifies and spreads through the respiratory system.

In asthma, coronavirus can cause an increase in broncho-obstructive attacks, the development of status asthmaticus, which in itself is a life-threatening condition. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronavirus damages lung tissue, which can lead to the rapid development of respiratory failure and, as a result, hypoxia. The risk of death in such pathologies is significantly higher.3.

  • Diabetes.

With this disease, the risk of developing any infectious complications is high. In the case of coronavirus infection against the background of diabetes, the likelihood of complications and an extremely severe course increases significantly – an uncontrolled increase / decrease in blood sugar that damages blood vessels and nerve fibers, an increase in blood pressure, and a high risk of thrombosis. If there is excess weight in addition to diabetes, the risk of a severe course is even higher.

  • Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

These pathologies are among the most common on the planet. Hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias, heart defects and atherosclerosis are very dangerous in themselves. With inflammation of the lungs, the body already suffers due to oxygen deficiency, heart problems increase these risks many times over. In addition, with COVID-19, blood problems often arise: it thickens, blockage of blood vessels by blood clots in the brain (and, as a result, a stroke) or in the heart (heart attack) can occur.

  • Oncological diseases.

Cancer patients are seriously weakened, their immunity is suppressed due to illness or aggressive treatments (radiation, chemotherapy). Against the background of reduced immunity, any infection, even SARS, is dangerous for them. Moreover, coronavirus is capable of provoking rapid and aggressive inflammation in the lungs, brain damage, and the development of bacterial infections. These complications can be fatal5.

  • Autoimmune pathologies.

In these diseases, a person’s immunity attacks their own cells of various organs and tissues, which may require certain methods of treatment – the use of immunosuppressants – drugs that suppress the activity of their own immune system. In the case of the development of a coronavirus infection in such patients, it is very difficult to predict the response: it is more difficult for their body to fight COVID-19, so they usually endure the disease in a severe form.

How to protect yourself from coronavirus complications

To protect yourself from coronavirus, you should follow the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor on self-isolation, wearing protective equipment and using antiseptics6.

Without an urgent need, you should not visit crowded places where the risk of infection is high. After contact with the patient, you should immediately consult a doctor to determine the tactics of emergency prevention and correction of the treatment of the underlying disease.

Of course, you need to constantly keep in touch with your doctor and follow all his recommendations for treatment.

Popular questions and answers

It is important for people with chronic pathologies to protect themselves from infections. We discussed with experts how to do this, whether they can be vaccinated with new vaccines and what they risk when they become infected.

Is it possible to get vaccinated against coronavirus for chronic diseases?
Yes, you can! Contraindications for vaccination against coronavirus in chronic diseases are discussed with the attending physician in each individual case. It is important to remember that we do not vaccinate in the acute stage of any chronic disease. Vaccination can be done in remission.
What complications can the coronavirus itself give?
Coronavirus initiates three types of complications.

The first is complications that are associated with lung damage and the development of severe respiratory failure. Often, patients after the disease develop fibrosis (compaction of the lung tissue with replacement by connective tissue that is not able to perform a gas exchange function), which can be severe.

The second is the addition of bacterial infections. In this case, opportunistic bacteria that inhabit any organism are activated and lead to bacterial pneumonia, pyelonephritis and other problems.

The third is thrombotic complications. With coronavirus infection, blood clotting increases. It is possible to develop microthrombosis of vessels of various organs, which can significantly disrupt their work, as well as thrombosis of peripheral arteries and veins, strokes, heart attack.

Do I need special preparation for vaccination?
Vaccination does not require any special preparation. If you have a chronic disease, please consult your doctor before getting vaccinated. You may need to monitor laboratory parameters.

3-5 days before vaccination, it is not recommended to visit crowded places in order to exclude the possibility of contracting a coronavirus infection and other infections.

In what cases can not be vaccinated against coronavirus in the presence of chronic diseases?
An absolute contraindication for vaccination is an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Other contraindications are determined individually with the attending physician at an internal consultation. In particular, for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, hypo- and hyperglycemic conditions, ketoacytosis, lactic acidosis are contraindicated; for patients with autoimmune diseases, there may be peculiarities in the timing of vaccination against the background of treatment of the underlying disease (in particular, when using immune therapy).

Before vaccination, be sure to consult your doctor!

Is vaccination acceptable for people with cancer?
Vaccination for patients with cancer is not only acceptable, but also recommended. According to the latest recommendations of the association of oncologists, regardless of the type of treatment, a patient can be vaccinated with any of the available vaccines if he has stable blood counts – a normal content of leukocytes, lymphocytes. Of course, before vaccination, you should discuss this issue with your treating oncologist. It should also be remembered that the immune response to vaccination in this group of patients may be significantly lower than in apparently healthy patients.
Do people with chronic diseases need to be vaccinated if they have been ill?
Even in the case of a disease, you should be vaccinated. The immune response after an illness does not compete with the immune response after vaccination, they complement each other and provide more reliable protection. Vaccination is recommended no earlier than 6 months after the coronavirus infection.
Do people with chronic diseases need to be vaccinated if they have been ill?
Even in the case of a disease, you should be vaccinated. The immune response after an illness does not compete with the immune response after vaccination, they complement each other and provide more reliable protection. Vaccination is recommended no earlier than 6 months after the coronavirus infection.
What vaccines can be given to people with chronic diseases?
Of the vaccines presented in Russia, absolutely everything can be used. It should be remembered that only CoviVac has an age limit – it can only be used in persons under 60 years of age.
Do I need special preparation for vaccination (tests, diet, medication)?
All necessary preparation is discussed individually with the attending physician. For the majority of patients, an unscheduled examination before vaccination is not indicated, but in special cases, the doctor may prescribe instrumental and laboratory tests to ascertain the ongoing remission. Of course, all doctor’s prescriptions should be followed: dieting, taking medications for better control of the course of the disease and a longer remission.
  1. INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR THE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF THE NEW CORONAVIRUS INFECTION (COVID-19) https://static-0.minzdrav.gov.ru/system/attachments/attaches/000/055/735/original/BMP_COVID-19.pdf
  2. Nikiforov V.V., Suranova T.G., Chernobrovkina Tatyana Yakovlevna, Yankovskaya Ya.D., Burova S.V. Novel coronavirus infection (Covid-19): clinical and epidemiological aspects // Archives of Internal Medicine. 2020. No. 2 (52). https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/novaya-koronavirusnaya-infektsiya-covid-19-kliniko-epidemiologicheskie-aspekty
  3. Bilichenko T. N. Epidemiology of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) // Academy of Medicine and Sports. 2020. №2. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/epidemiologiya-novoy-koronavirusnoy-infektsii-covid-19 (date of access: 25.06.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX)
  4. Starshinova A. A., Kushnareva E. A., Malkova A. M., Dovgalyuk I. F., Kudlai D. A. New coronavirus infection: features of the clinical course, possibilities for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infection in adults and children. Questions of modern pediatrics. 2020; 19(2): 123–131. doi:10.15690/vsp.v19i2.2105)
  5. PREVENTION. Information on coronavirus and preventive measures. https://mosgorzdrav.ru/coronavirus-covid-19
  6. 8 steps to prevent coronavirus infection. https://stopcoronavirus.rf/about-covid/#prevention

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