
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the list of symptoms that SARS-CoV-2 can cause has been steadily growing. In addition to the standard three – persistent cough, elevated temperature and shortness of breath – more are being added, including those still considered atypical.
The disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, popularly known as coronavirus, was thought for a long time to attack only the respiratory system. Today it is already known that symptoms of coronavirus in adults include not only those typical of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, but also involve the nervous system, excretory system and even skin problems. Knowing all the symptoms that coronavirus causes is so important mainly because of diagnosis. The sooner a patient can be diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated and isolated so that it does not pose an epidemiological threat.
Symptoms of coronavirus – what are they?
Since the beginning of the pandemic, three basic symptoms of coronavirus have been heard everywhere. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common symptoms in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are elevated fever, dry persistent cough combined with shortness of breath and fatigue. That’s why, for example, clinics or airports are implementing temperature checks and asking about the other two symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – a U.S. government agency, the equivalent of the Polish National Health Service – also adds chills, difficulty breathing, muscle pain, sore throat or headache, sudden loss of taste and/or smell, runny nose, nausea and/or vomiting and diarrhea to the list of less typical but common symptoms. Importantly, these symptoms do not have to occur simultaneously.
However, it is known that these are not all symptoms of coronavirus.
Coronavirus – unusual symptoms
What else can coronavirus cause? Skin symptoms include a rash on the hands or feet called “covid toes” similar to chicken pox or frostbite with peeling and redness. Some patients also have what is known as “covid tongue,” an ulceration of the mouth with red and white patches on the tongue. Symptoms in the mouth also include transient inflammation of the papillae of the tongue arranged in a U-shape, sometimes accompanied by swelling and burning. Often these symptoms were combined with loss of taste.
Symptoms of coronavirus – what other symptoms should worry you? Sudden digestive troubles, including severe diarrhea resembling food poisoning, lack of appetite combined with loss of smell and taste, disorientation and conjunctivitis. Serious symptoms additionally include pain or tightness in the chest, as well as loss of speech or ability to move.
It is worth remembering a very important point about what coronavirus is – atypical symptoms and those considered typical are one problem. The other is asymptomatic passing, which is considered extremely dangerous for epidemiological reasons. Symptomatic patients most often get tested right away, while asymptomatic ones can infect others because they are unaware of the presence of the virus in the body.
Read: Covid-19 – what are the most common symptoms of the new Omicron BA.5 subvariant?
Dodaj komentarz