Scientists likely discover sequence of COVID-19 symptoms

The most common symptoms noticed for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. As the pandemic evolves, additional symptoms were reported by those who carried the infection, such as headaches, body aches, nausea, diarrhea, and loss of smell and taste, among others.

This electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (orange) – also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19 – isolated from a patient in the US, from the surface of cells (green) cultured in ‘ e lab. Image captured and colored at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana. Credit: NIAID

Now, a team of researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) has revealed the sequence of symptoms commonly experienced by those infected with SARS-CoV-2. Knowing the order of the symptoms can help patients seek medical help immediately. The research is published in the journal Frontiers in public health.

“This sequence is especially important to know when we have overlapping cycles of disease, such as the flu that coincides with COVID-19 infections. Physicians can determine what steps need to be taken to care for the patient, and they can prevent the patient’s condition from deteriorating, “said Peter Kuhn, a USC professor of medicine, biomedical engineering, and aerospace and mechanical engineering.

The team said after several months since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in China, there are now better treatment options, and identifying patients earlier could reduce hospitalization time.

Spot the symptoms quickly

The coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected the world. It is still unclear when the pandemic will end, but without treatment and a vaccine available, adapting to a new normal is essential.

Currently, the best way to combat the spread of the virus is to quickly spot and test the symptoms. From there, contact tracing will ensure that everyone is isolated. If patients with symptoms quickly tested and underwent traces of contact, outbreaks could be contained. The downside is, COVID-19 patients have similar symptoms to common diseases, such as flu and common colds.

“Here we hypothesize that the sequencing of symptoms could help patients and medical professionals differentiate COVID-19 more quickly from other respiratory diseases, yet such essential information is largely unavailable,” the researchers explained.

The most likely pathway of common respiratory symptoms in COVID-19. The most likely path of seven common symptoms of COVID-19, determined by the transition uncertainties also mentioned between nodes, from two datasets here. image Credit: For. Public Health, 13 August 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00473

The study

To arrive at the findings of the study, the team applied a Markov trial to a degree-ordered set based on the clinical observations of COVID-19 cases to determine the most likely sequence of symptoms in patients .

The team compared the progression of COVID-19 symptoms with other respiratory diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and influenza. The team wanted to observe if the diseases have different manifestations.

The research model projects that flu starts with a cough, while COVID-19, just like other coronavirus diseases, starts with fever. Furthermore, COVID-19 differs from SARS and MERs in the order of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Fever and cough are often linked to many respiratory diseases, including MERS and SARS, but the timing and symptoms in the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract could displace COVID-19. For example, the upper GI channel appears to be affected before the lower part is in COVID-19, which is the opposite of the other two siblings of coronavirus.

“The order of the symptoms is important. Knowing that each disease progresses differently means doctors can identify sooner if someone is likely to have COVID-19, or another disease that could help them make better treatment decisions,” Joseph said. Larsen, author of the study.

The findings highlight the importance of controlling body temperature, not just arrival points as well as access to facilities.

“Our results support the idea that fever should be used to screen for entry into facilities, as regions begin to recover after the spring break of 2020. In addition, our findings suggest that good clinical practice should be included to monitor the order of symptoms. to prevent COVID-19 and other diseases, “said the team.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, the research findings underscore the importance of testing fever before humans can enter the facilities. Traces of contact should also be done to isolate the patients.