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In his message, the professor writes about the incubation period of the disease, the symptoms and the course of the disease: what proportion of patients get sick easily, how much a critical condition develops.
According to V. Kasiulevičius, the highest probability of infecting each other is one day before the onset of symptoms and the first five days of the disease. Symptoms can appear 1 to 14 days after infection, with an average of 5 to 6 days. 9 days after the onset of the disease, the probability of infection of the affected person is close to zero, unless the immunity of the affected person is affected due to an oncological disease, another disease or the administration of immunosuppressive drugs. And although a fraction of the virus particles can be detected in up to three months, it has nothing to do with the risk of infection.
In terms of symptoms, asymptomatic patients account for 14 to 30 percent. of all the sick. Others may experience severe pneumonia or other complications such as acute respiratory syndrome, septic shock, acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary thromboembolism, and even multiple organ failure.
According to the professor, 81 percent. adults are characterized by a mild to moderate course of the disease, 14 percent. adults are seriously ill (develop hypoxia, dyspnea), 5 percent. the course of the disease in adults is critical (development of respiratory failure, shock, multi-organ dysfunction). The most common symptoms in mild to moderate disease are headache, loss of smell, nasal congestion, cough, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose, taste disturbance, and sore throat. Fever is less common in these patients.
The mean duration of symptoms in these patients is usually 11 to 12 days. Usually within 20 days, the symptoms of the disease disappear. Fever, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite are more common in patients with severe illness. Symptoms can last more than 20 days. The predominant symptoms depend on age: younger patients often have ear, nose and throat symptoms, while older patients have fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite.
A severe course of the disease can develop in both healthy people and people of any age, but it usually occurs in older adults or with certain comorbidities.
In COVID-19, bacterial infections are detected in 7% of patients. hospitalized patients and 14 percent. patients treated in intensive care units. The most common pathogens: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Infections caused by pathogenic fungi and other viruses (eg, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A) are less common. Co-infections are more common in patients with severe COVID-19.
The most common symptoms in children are fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and runny nose. Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are less common in children than in adults. Meanwhile, gastrointestinal symptoms may occur more often in children than adults, especially newborns and infants, and may be the only symptom of the disease.
Children with comorbidities are more likely to be seriously ill: 80 percent of young patients with a critical course of the disease are diagnosed with major immune system disorders, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Vomiting in children under 1 year of age is characterized by a serious illness. Some children develop a severe inflammatory response syndrome.
V. Kasiulevičius also explains why having a pulse oximeter at home is useful. More and more research confirms that using a pulse oximeter at home can make a significant contribution to saving lives. Pulse oximetry can show very little oxygen saturation in the blood. With an SpO₂ <92 percent. These patients should be referred in a timely manner to the hospital emergency departments for further evaluation. Many people are convinced that they know dyspnea well and do not need a meter, but COVID-19 patients can also develop "silent hypoxia." In this case, the oxygen saturation can decrease significantly, causing acute respiratory failure without obvious symptoms of respiratory distress.
According to the professor, if tested, a teaspoon of honey can be more useful than some medicines. All you need to do is not go overboard with honey amounts so you don’t significantly spike your blood glucose. If the temperature is above 38 degrees, acetaminophen and ibuprofen are a safe option as long as the recommended dose is not exceeded. Ideally, the risk of liver damage should not exceed a dose of 2 grams of paracetamol per day. The maximum daily dose is 4 grams, but this decision should not be made without a doctor. Paracetamol is usually given up to 500 mg 4 times a day. Ibuprofen can be given in doses of 400 mg every 6 to 8 hours.
Do all patients have to make an effort to get to the hospital? Many COVID-19 patients can be successfully treated at home. It is recommended that COVID-19 patients who are hypoxic, have other chronic conditions, and are over the age of 65 be admitted to the hospital. If blood pressure, respiratory rate are controlled, blood oxygen saturation does not fall below 93%, there is no uncorrected fever and severe comorbidities, and consciousness is not affected, then such a patient may be treated for safely at home.
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