I would guess there is nothing special about the virus aside from it being "high intensity". My best hypothesis is that the symptoms are the result of a maladaptive "freeze response" which results in the symptoms. Viruses don't actually cause pain, it is your body's response to it.
If you want to avoid this scenario with COVID, probably the best thing you can do is to reduce your stress level as much as possible, as I think that is a key risk factor. Exercise is good, but overdoing it is a form of stress!
Also the bacterial infections caused by such rampage. Like pneumonia.
Probably not nearly as bad as everlasting flu symptoms, but it's interesting there's a pattern of infections that never quite go away.
I also suffered from near chronic sinus infections. Got one, and haven't had to get anti-biotic to handle one in years.
Can you tell me a bit about your post-ballon sinuplasty experience? I hear people complaining about lack of ability to smell and other things, but, like, my smell is already shot so how bad could it be? What was your recovery like, and did you have any new symptoms/conditions after?
So I used to be damn near chronic to the point I was going through NeilMed saline like other people go through other white powders.
Went in, they did the procedure in office with whatever that anaesthetic is that makes you not remember. About the most eventful thing during the procedure was apparently I got a bit mushy, and when they were in my upper left sinus I might have kicked the doc. (They had to cauterize something up there, apprarently, and it was my most impacted area generally, as even on X-rays, you could hardly see a difference in density along the passage.)
After the recovery period was like... Well not night and day, but instead of measuring my saline rinsing in boxes per two weeks it'd be boxes per 3-6 months. I've not had to visit the doctor or regularly do Flonase since. When I do rinse, the crap I get out is never as bad as it used to be, and I don't end up with that horrible sinus breath or weird cheesy aftertaste anymore. On the rare occasions now I do feel like something is acting up, I can just do some Flonase and some hot tea and I'm set.
Can still smell just fine! Even better, really, and on a more regular basis.
My sinus headache frequency plummeted, (tension headaches went up though since I'm terrible at getting away from the computer regularly.) I can think more clearly, breathe better, and I'm not on antibiotics anymore every two months or laid out feeling like the front of my face wants off.
I still seem to have a little bit of nagging with left sinus on occasion, and the ear on that side tends to swell a bit more than the one on the other side, but that's really it. It is pretty safe (for you, can't speak for your doctor...).
I'm not big into pushing or trying to sell/evangelize things, but life is too short for sinus problems, and they're too debilitating in my opinion as a long time sufferer. I had great results, and I hope you will to!
Thanks!
Flu is dangerous
http://simmaronresearch.com/simmaron-rising/
Also note that you're not lost, there are herbs/supplements that can work as antiviral (Echinacea, Cistus, ...)
It is a strange word to use in this context.