The Unprofessional Guide to severe COVID-19

Chapter 1: What Is severe COVID-19, Really?

Important notice: This guide is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any medical decisions. Never disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you read in this guide.

Let's start with the obvious thing: you're scared. Maybe terrified. Someone just told you that you have severe COVID-19, and those words sound like a verdict. Let me be very clear about one thing before we go any further: this is a guide to understanding, not a crystal ball. Nobody, not even the best doctor in the world, can tell you exactly what your next few weeks will look like. But you are not helpless in the dark. Information is a flashlight. And I'm going to walk you through what "severe COVID-19" actually means, in plain English, so you can start to see the shape of what's in front of you.

First, let's talk about what the word "severe" is doing here. COVID-19, like many illnesses, isn't one single experience. It's a spectrum. For some people, it's a bad flu - a few awful days, a lingering cough, and then it's done. For others, it's a mild nuisance, or even completely symptomless. But when a doctor or a hospital says "severe COVID-19," they mean that the infection has moved beyond your upper respiratory tract (your nose and throat) and has dug into the deeper parts