In the previous week, the world's total confirmed cases of COVID-19 had reached the 1 million mark, and it is continuing to grow at an alarming rate. However, not all of the infected people showed similar symptoms and conditions.

Patients of the disease had shown a variety of symptoms, which are still unexplainable to a certain extent. However, there are some clues as to what factors affect the severity of the illness.

COVID-19 Symptoms

The common symptoms of the COVID-19 are shortness of breath, cough, and fever. There is also a large number of patients reported to have experienced non-respiratory symptoms.

A study consisting of 204 participants who have contracted the deadly novel coronavirus had revealed that more than half of them had experienced gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. The study's results were published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

The New York Times revealed that the illness sometimes results in neurological implications such as seizures and swelling of the brain.

Other patients of the illness showcased cardiac issues, muscle pain, and intense fatigue.

Lastly, some patients contracted the virus but reported only mild symptoms. Others did not report any symptoms to the disease.

Why are People Reacting Differently to the Illness?

According to Kathryn Jacobsen, a public health contributor to Yahoo News, one of the possible seen reasons for the variation of symptoms of the disease is the fact that humans are not machines. Human bodies' reactions to pathogens are affected by many factors, she added. Jacobsen said that for the novel coronavirus, the health status and age of a person are the two common factors that affect how a patient responds to the infection.

The Deadly Novel Coronavirus

Another potential factor that explains the variety of symptoms among COVID-19 patients is their level of exposure to the lethal novel coronavirus.

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According to Doctor Caroline R. Bartman and Doctor Joshua D. Rabinowitz, viruses become more lethal when contracted in larger volumes. The two doctors compared this logic with poison.

Long Term and Close Contact with an Infected Individual

A person who had stepped inside an office building with an infected person is less lethal than those who had sat right next to a COVID-19 patient for an extended period while on public transportation, says Doctor Bartman and Doctor Rabinowitz. The two doctors have been doing research work on genomics.

According to the two doctors, the low-volume contact can increase the immunity of a patient. This results in getting protection for future high-dose exposure to the virus, they added.

For the novel coronavirus, the other factors that affect how the infection presents in some patients are not yet known. However, there is a big chance that it is a combination of factors, says an article.  

The possible factors to consider include nutritional status, medication, body chemistry, tobacco usage, and genetics, says Jacobsen.