New research reveals which COVID-19 symptoms are likely to come first for those who contract the disease.
A study conducted by the University of Southern California and published in the Frontiers in Public Health says that a fever is the most likely symptom, followed by a cough and then muscle pain.
“Our results support the idea that fever should be used to screen for entry into facilities as regions begin to reopen after the onset of Spring 2020,” the study said.
The next most likely symptoms to appear are nausea and / or vomiting and diarrhea.
“The upper GI tract (i.e., nausea / vomiting) appears to be affected before the lower GI tract (i.e., diarrhea) in COVID-19, which is the opposite of MERS and SARS,” the scientists wrote.
Fever and cough are often associated with a variety of respiratory diseases, including Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). However, the timing and symptoms in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract separate COVID-19.
“This sequence is especially important to know when we have overlapping cycles of diseases such as influenza that coincide with COVID-19 infections,” said Peter Kuhn, professor of medicine, biomedical engineering, and space and mechanical engineering. the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “Physicians can determine what steps to take to care for the patient, and they can prevent the patient’s condition from deteriorating.”
The first nine symptoms mentioned for the virus identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were:
- Fever
- Chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Wurgens
- Muscle as body
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
In late June, the CDC added three new symptoms to COVID-19:
- Congestion as a runny nose
- Nausea as vomit
- Diarrhea
The list does not include all possible symptoms, the CDC notes.
The CDC initially reported three symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough and shortness of breath / breathing problems.
In early April, it added shivering / repeated shaking with shivering, muscle aches, headaches, sore throats and new loss of taste like smoke.
The CDC says that if anyone shows any of the following signs, they should seek medical attention immediately:
- Problems with breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Impossibility to wake up or stay awake
- Bluish lips as face
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