New research has detected an unexpected sign of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2). Here’s something to think about.
Doctors in Chicago, US, have noticed a bizarre symptom in an elderly man who tested positive for COVID-19.
A report published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine describes the case of an unwell man who is suffering.
It stated: “Here we present a case of persistent hiccups as the present symptom of a COVID-19 infection in a 62-year-old man.”
The paper found that the patient had suffered from hiccups for four days before being admitted to the hospital with a high temperature of 37.3C.
Further tests revealed that the patient was having difficulty with his lung capacity, and the man was then placed in an isolation room and tested for the disease.
Later, his temperature rose to 38.4C and he tested positive for the virus.
The report went on to say: “To our knowledge, this is the first case report of persistent hiccups as the present complaint in a COVID-19 positive patient in literature on emergency medicine.”
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Doctors at Cook County Health, Chicago, said the sign should not be dismissed, The Sun reported.
The paper stated, “Physicians should keep COVID-19 infection on their differential because more cases are detected through atypical presentations.”
Prior to this study, there were circulating reports of loss of taste or odor as a symptom of the disease.
This speculation soon ended when the symptom made its way onto the official NHS website as a sign of illness.
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Currently, the NHS has verified three main symptoms of COVID-19: a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; a loss or change in your sense of smell or taste.
A high temperature means “you feel hot to the touch of your chest or back” – and this does not require a thermometer.
The other sign of COVID-19, a new, continuous, cough “means coughing a lot of coughing for more than an hour, than three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours”.
If you’ve already suffered from a persistent cough – for various health reasons – you may have noticed that it’s worse than normal.
WIE considers “fatigue” as one of the most common signs of infection, but agrees that a “dry cough” or “fever” are also typical symptoms.
The organization notes that there are more than a handful of “less common” symptoms to be aware of.
These include: aches and pains; sore throat; diarrhea; conjunctivitis; headache; a rash on the skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.
Interestingly, the WHO noted a “loss of taste or smell” as a “less common” feature of the disease.
