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Coronavirus symptoms: 10 key indicators and what to do

2020-07-27T11:13:19.296Z


Here are 10 signs that you or someone you love may have covid-19, and what to do to protect yourself and your family. The ABC of coronavirus: what is it, how is it spread, who is affected and how is it…


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(CNN) - Scientists are learning more every day about the mysterious new coronavirus and the symptoms of covid-19, the disease it causes.

Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are found in the vast majority of all covid-19 cases. But there are additional signs of the virus, some very much like a cold or flu, and others that are more unusual.

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According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, any or all symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Here are 10 signs that you or someone you love may have covid-19, and what to do to protect yourself and your family.

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1. Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is not usually an early symptom of covid-19, but it is the most serious. It can occur alone, without cough. If your chest tightens or you start to feel like you can't breathe enough to fill your lungs with air, that's a signal to act quickly, experts say.

"If there is difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider, local emergency care, or the emergency department right away," said President of the American Medical Association, Dr. Patrice Harris.

"If the difficulty breathing is severe enough, you should call 911," added Harris.

The CDC lists other emergency warning signs for covid-19 such as "persistent chest pain or pressure" and "bluish lips or face," which may indicate a lack of oxygen.

Get medical attention right away, the CDC says.

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2. Fever

Fever is a key sign of covid-19. Because some people may have a lower or higher overall body temperature than typical 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius), experts say you shouldn't look at a number.

CNN presenter Chris Cuomo, who is battling the virus from his home in New York, is one of those people.
“I have a slightly colder temperature. My normal temperature is 97.6, not 98.6. So even when I'm at 99 that wouldn't be a big deal for most people. But for me, I'm already hot, ”Cuomo told Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN.

However, most children and adults will not be considered feverish until their temperature reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius).

"There are many misconceptions about fever," said Dr. John Williams, chief of the pediatric infectious disease division at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"We all go up and down a lot during the day to half a degree or a degree," Williams said, adding that for most people "99.0 degrees or 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit is not a fever."

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Don't rely on a temperature taken in the morning, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. Instead, it takes its temperature in the late afternoon and evening.

“Our temperature is not the same during the day. If you take it at eight in the morning, it can be normal, "Schaffner explained.

“One of the most common presentations of fever is that its temperature rises in the late afternoon and evening. It is a common way that viruses cause fever. ”

3. Dry cough

Cough is another common symptom, but it is not just any cough.

“It is not a tickle in the throat. You're not just clearing your throat. Not only is he irritated, ”Schaffner explained.

The cough is annoying, a dry cough that you feel deep in your chest.
"It comes from your sternum, and you notice that their bronchi are inflamed or irritated," added Schaffner.

A report released by the World Health Organization in February found that more than 33% of 55,924 people with laboratory-confirmed cases of covid-19 had coughed up sputum, a thick mucus sometimes called phlegm, from their lungs.

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4. Chills and body aches

"The beast comes out at night," Cuomo said, referring to the chills, body aches and high fever that visited him on April 1.

'It was like someone was hitting me like a piñata. And I was shaking so much that… I broke a tooth. They are called rigors, ”he said from his basement, where he is quarantined far from the rest of his family.

"I was hallucinating. My dad was talking to me. I was seeing people from the university, people I hadn't seen in many years, it was strange, "said Cuomo.

Not everyone will have such a severe reaction, experts say. Some may not have chills or body aches.

Others may experience flu-like chills, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain, which can make it difficult to know if it's the fault of the flu or the coronavirus.

A possible sign that you could have covid-19 is if your symptoms don't improve after a week or so, but actually get worse.

5. Sudden confusion

Speaking of signs of worsening, the CDC says that sudden confusion or the inability to wake up and be alert can be a serious sign that emergency care may be needed. If you or a loved one has those symptoms, especially with other critical signs like bluish lips, trouble breathing, or chest pain, the CDC says to seek help immediately.

6. Digestive problems

At first, science did not think that the diarrhea or other typical gastric problems that often come with the flu applied to the new coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2. As more research on survivors becomes available, that opinion has changed.

"In a study done in China, where they analyzed some of the first patients, about 200 people, they found that digestive or stomach (gastrointestinal) symptoms were actually present in about half of the patients," Gupta said on the program. CNN New Day news.

Overall, "I think we are getting a little more information about the types of symptoms that patients may have," Gupta said.

The study described a unique subset of milder cases in which the initial symptoms were digestive problems such as diarrhea, often without fever. Those patients experienced delays in testing and diagnosis than patients with respiratory problems, and took longer to clear the virus from their systems.

7. Conjunctivitis

Research from China, South Korea, and other parts of the world indicates that about 1% to 3% of people with covid-19 also had conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis, a highly contagious condition caused by a virus, is an inflammation of the thin, clear layer of tissue, called the conjunctiva, that covers the white of the eye and the inside of the eyelid.

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But SARS-CoV-2 is just one of many viruses that can cause conjunctivitis, so it wasn't a real surprise to scientists that this newly discovered virus did the same.

Still, a pink or red eye may be one more sign that you should call your doctor if you also have other telltale symptoms of covid-19, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

8. Loss of smell and taste

In mild to moderate cases of coronavirus, loss of smell and taste is emerging as one of the most unusual first signs of covid-19.

"What is called anosmia, which basically means loss of smell, seems to be a symptom that several patients developed," Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN, told CNN presenter Alisyn Camerota in New Day.

"It may be related to loss of taste, loss of appetite, we are not sure, but clearly it is something to consider," said Gupta. "Sometimes these first symptoms are not the classic ones."

"Anosmia, in particular, has been seen in patients who eventually tested positive for the coronavirus without other symptoms," according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

A recent analysis of milder cases in South Korea found that the main symptom in 30% of patients was loss of smell. In Germany, more than two out of three confirmed cases had anosmia.

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It has long been known in the medical literature that a sudden loss of smell may be associated with respiratory infections caused by other types of coronaviruses, so it was not surprising that the new coronavirus had this effect, according to ENT UK, a professional organization. representing ear, nose and throat surgeons in the United Kingdom.

Is there anything you can do at home to test if you are losing your sense of smell? The answer is yes, by using the "caramel test" to determine if odors flow from the back of the mouth up through the nasal pharynx and into the nasal cavity. The idea is to take a candy and put it in your mouth while holding your nose so that no air enters. Chew, and then release the grip on your nose. If your sense of smell is good, you will immediately perceive the taste. If you can distinguish between different flavors, like oranges and lemons, your sense of smell is working well.

9. Fatigue

For some people, extreme fatigue may be an early sign of the new coronavirus. The WHO report found that almost 40% of the nearly 6,000 people with laboratory-confirmed cases experienced fatigue.

Just a few days after his quarantine, Cuomo was already exhausted by fevers and body aches caused by the disease.

"I am so lethargic that I can look outside and, on the face of it, an hour and a half passes," Cuomo told Gupta on Anderson Cooper 360. "I think I took a 10-minute nap, and it was three and a half hours."

Fatigue can continue long after the virus goes away. Anecdotal reports of people who have recovered from covid-19 say exhaustion and lack of energy continue well beyond the standard recovery period of just a few weeks.

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10. Headache, sore throat, congestion

The WHO report also found that almost 14% of the nearly 6,000 cases of covid-19 in China had symptoms of headache and sore throat, while almost 5% had nasal congestion.

They certainly aren't the most common signs of the disease, but they're obviously similar to colds and flu. In fact, many covid-19 symptoms can resemble the flu, including the headaches and digestive problems, body aches, and fatigue mentioned above. Still other symptoms may resemble a cold or allergies, such as a sore throat and congestion.

Chances are, experts say, you simply have a cold or flu; after all, they can also cause fever and cough.

So what should you do

"Right now, the current orientation, and this may change, is that if you have cold and flu-like symptoms and these are mild to moderate symptoms, stay home and try to control them" with rest, hydration and the use of medications to reduce fever, said AMA's Harris.

That advice doesn't apply if you're over 60, as the immune system weakens as we age or if you're pregnant. Anyone with concerns about the coronavirus should call their healthcare provider, according to the CDC.

It is not clear whether pregnant women are more likely to become seriously ill from the coronavirus, but the CDC has said that women experience changes in their bodies during pregnancy that may increase the risk of some infections.

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In general, covid-19 infections are more risky if you have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, chronic lung disease or asthma, heart failure or heart disease, sickle cell anemia, cancer (or if you are receiving chemotherapy), kidney disease on dialysis, a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 (extremely obese) or an autoimmune disorder.

"Older patients and people who have underlying medical conditions or are immunocompromised should contact their doctor early even in the course of mild illness," advises the CDC.

To be clear, you are at higher risk, even if you are young, if you have underlying health problems.

"People under the age of 60 with underlying disease, diabetes, heart disease, immunocompromised or some type of previous lung disease, are more vulnerable despite their young age," said Schaffner.

A history of travel to an area where the new coronavirus is widespread (and those parts of the world, including the US, are increasing daily) is obviously another key factor in deciding whether your symptoms may be covid-19 or not.

How to be evaluated

If you don't have symptoms, don't order tests or add to the number of calls pending at test centers, clinics, hospitals and the like, experts say.

"We don't screen people without symptoms because we have a resource problem," Schaffner said of the testing center in Vanderbilt. "However, we are emphasizing that people who have this small group of important symptoms (fever and everything related to the lower respiratory tract, such as cough and shortness of breath) should be brought in to be evaluated."

If you have those three signs, where should you go?

“If you have insurance and are looking for a provider or someone to call or connect with, there is always a number on the back of your insurance card; or there is information for patients online, ”said Harris.

"If you don't have insurance, you can start with the state health department or local community health centers, which are officially known as federally qualified health centers," said Harris, adding that some states have a direct phone number 1- 800 to call.

"If there is a testing and evaluation center near you, you can go there directly," said Schaffer. “It is always good to notify them that you will go. If not, you should call your healthcare provider and they will tell you what to do. ”

CNN's Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.

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Source: cnnespanol

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