When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, many Americans did not realize how serious it was. Over the last month, however, the outbreak in the United States has grown exponentially, and gradually the rest of the country is beginning to grasp the severity of the situation.

While most of us can understand how dangerous the virus is just by looking at the number of cases and the number of deaths, what is perhaps less well-understood is what the virus actually does to your body, and precisely why it can be so deadly.

Recently, the New York Times released a video explaining what the COVID-19 virus does to your lungs, in an effort to impress upon Americans the severity of the disease and why it is so important for them to continue to stay home.

Read: Don’t Just Avoid the Virus — Help Defeat It by Strengthening Your Immunity

An Attack on your Lungs

The video shows a virtual reality 3D image of the lungs of a patient with a severe case of COVID-19. The patient, who was 59 years old, was generally healthy aside from having high blood pressure.

The image shows a significant portion of his lungs that was damaged by the virus highlighted in green. Just days before the image was created, he had been completely asymptomatic.

In the video, the narrator explains that a large majority of patients who die from the coronavirus suffer from a condition called ARDS [1].

ARDS stands for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which is a condition that prevents oxygen from getting into your bloodstream, and therefore, to your organs. Essentially, ARDS means that you can’t breathe [1].

There are many reasons why someone might develop ARDS, the most common being sepsis, which is a serious widespread infection in your bloodstream. Other causes could be if you inhale a toxic substance (like smoke or chemical fumes), aspirating vomit, or having a near-drowning episode. Other health conditions like pancreatitis or HIV could lead to ARDS, or if you sustain a serious injury that damages the lungs or the part of the brain that controls breathing [2].

Read: How To Protect Yourself From COVID-19 According To A Lung Doctor

What Happens When You Get ARDS?

Your lungs contain tiny air sacs called alveoli. These tiny sacs are responsible for oxygen exchange in your body. The lining of the alveoli is extremely thin to allow for oxygen to pass easily across the membrane and into your blood where it can be then carried to your organs [1].

ARDS occurs when fluid collects in the alveoli so that they can’t fill up with enough air. This prevents your blood from picking up enough oxygen to supply your vital organs. When this happens, organs such as your liver and your kidneys cannot work properly, and could eventually shut down [3].

In the case of COVID-19, the virus attacks and damages the lining of the alveoli. Scar tissue builds upon the walls of the alveoli, and eventually, they become too thick for oxygen to pass through. Since oxygen is no longer getting through to the bloodstream, your organs begin to suffocate [1].

Read:‘Pink Eye’ Often another Symptom of COVID-19

If You’re Sick, How Do You Know if It Will Become Serious?

Eighty percent of COVID-19 cases are considered mild, but if you do get sick, how will you know if your case is going to be mild or if you’re headed for something much worse [4]?

According to the New York Times video, if you are beginning to experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, it means that the virus has progressed deeper into the lungs. Typically, ARDS seems to be developing seven to ten days after the onset of symptoms, but once it does, it progresses rapidly compared to ARDS from another cause. For that reason, the longer the virus affects your lungs, the higher the likelihood that you will develop severe respiratory illness [1].

As New York Governor Anothony Cuomo puts it: “The longer you are put on a ventilator, the less likely you will come off the ventilator. That is the blunt truth of this situation” [1].

Read: Should You Disinfect Your Groceries To Prevent COVID-19?

A Warning to the Public

Dr. Keith Mortman, MD, FACS, FCCP, director of thoracic surgery at the George Washington University in Washington DC where the patient from the video was treated, explains that the reason he wants to educate the public about how the virus attacks the lungs is to impress on them the seriousness of the situation.

“My goal of trying to get this out into the public is so that they understand the severity of the problem that we’re seeing,” he said, “and why the social distancing… is just so so important…this is a community-wide problem, it’s a global problem, and it’s gonna take a community solution.”

He emphasizes that everybody has a role to play in ending this pandemic.

“If you’re not in the healthcare field, your role is to stay home, because the virus doesn’t move on its own… people transmit the virus” [1].

Keep Reading: Do You Have Pandemic Anxiety? Tips to Cope If You may be Sleepless, Forgetful and Angry.

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