Coronavirus turns lungs 'hard as stone', autopsy reports reveal

Ahmedabad: The autopsy of deceased COVID-19 patients in Gujarat has revealed that the respiratory disease can turn the lungs as hard as stone, reports said.

Recently, Gujarat became only the second center -- after he Bhopal AIIMS -- to study the corpses of COVID-19 patients. All the 5 autopsies that were performed on the patients pointed to a startling fact: the disease turns the lungs into hard organs akin to stone.

All the autopsies were conducted at the PDU Government Medical College affiliated with the Rajkot Civil Hospital. Dr. Hetal Kyada, the professor and head of the department of forensic medicine at the institute, attests that this is the first time he has seen a virus turn lungs into stone-like organs. Lungs, the brain, and the circulatory system are the worst affected by COVID, the doctor added.

Although serious diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pneumonia are known to turn the lungs hard, the damage unleashed by the corona on the bread-like organs is unprecedented, Kyada added.

While the deadly cytokine storm and hypercoagulation are well-known side effects of the virus, the examination of the dead bodies has revealed that the disease also causes severe clotting in the Circle of Willis, which provides collateral blood flow between the anterior and posterior circulations of the brain.

The professor also disclosed that coronavirus significantly increases the size of the lungs, although the change does not seem visible at first. Thus, while a healthy person's lungs weigh between 375 grams to 400 grams, a COVID-19 patient's lungs end up weighing between 1,200-1,300 grams.

Although this study has sent ripples across the medical fraternity, experts opine that five is too small a sample size to reach any conclusive research findings.

Scientific research has unearthed that the novel coronavirus affects not only the lungs, but the heart, kidneys, skin, and other organs as well.

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