Coronavirus symptoms require immediate medical attention. Thus, if you notice any of the symptoms, visit a health center to get yourself checked out.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone wears a cloth face mask in public places where it’s hard to observe a 6-foot distance from others. This will help to reduce the spread of the virus from people without symptoms or people who do not know they have contracted the virus.
Even as you continue to practice physical distancing, cloth face masks should be worn.
For instructions on how to make masks at home, see this article.
Furthermore, it’s very important to keep surgical masks and N95 respirators for healthcare workers.
Coronaviruses are a diverse family of viruses that can infect both human beings and animals. Various types of coronaviruses cause minimal upper respiratory illness in humans. Others like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV can cause more serious respiratory illnesses.
Again, a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 emerged in China towards the end of 2019. This virus has since spread to many other countries all over the world. SARS-CoV-2 is the infection that causes a respiratory illness called COVID-19.
Additionally, COVID-19 can have potentially serious complications like trouble breathing and pneumonia. Thus, it’s very necessary to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and how they differ from other health conditions.
Continue reading to learn more about Coronavirus symptoms, how they differ from other respiratory health conditions, and what you should do if you think you’ve become ill.
Table of Contents
Coronavirus Symptoms
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the median incubation period for SARS-CoV-2 is between 4 to 5 days. However, it can range anywhere from two (2) days to fourteen(14) days.
Very importantly, not everyone with a SARS-CoV-2 infection will feel unwell. This is because it’s possible to have the virus and not develop the symptoms. Again, when symptoms are present, they’re usually mild and slowly develop.
The most common coronavirus symptoms are:
- fever
- cough
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
Also, some people with COVID-19 may sometimes experience additional Coronavirus symptoms, like:
- runny or stuffy nose
- sore throat
- headache
- body aches and pains
- diarrhea
Furthermore, there are more serious coronavirus symptoms. Make sure you call a doctor or hospital right away if you have one or more of these coronavirus symptoms (COVID-19):
- Trouble breathing
- Constant pressure or pain in your chest
- Bluish face or lips
- Sudden confusion
Note that, you need to get medical care as soon as possible. Put a call through to your doctor’s office or hospital before you go in. This is important because it will help them prepare to treat you and protect medical staff and other patients.
Again, lab tests can tell if COVID-19 is the cause of your symptoms. However, the tests can be hard to come by, and there’s no treatment if you do have the disease. Thus, you don’t need to get tested if you have no symptoms or only less serious ones. If you have questions, call your doctor or your local health department so they can assist you.
Additionally, there are also some other Coronavirus Symptoms (COVID-19). These symptoms are as follows:
- Pinkeye
- Swollen eyes
- Fainting
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Coughing up blood
- Blood clots
- Seizures
- Heart problems
- Kidney damage
- Liver problems or damage
There are some doctors who are reporting that rashes are tied to COVID-19, including purple or blue lesions on children’s toes and feet. Researchers are investigating these reports so they can understand the effect on people who have COVID-19.
Furthermore, some observations suggest that respiratory symptoms may worsen in the second week of illness. This appears to occur after around 8 days according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 out of 6 people with COVID-19 become seriously ill. These individuals can develop very serious pneumonia or respiratory failure and may need oxygen or mechanical ventilation.
How You Can Check for Fever
To begin with, your normal body temperature might be higher or lower than someone else’s. Also, it changes all throughout the day. Generally, doctors consider a fever in an adult to be anything over 100.4 F on an oral thermometer and over 100.8 F on a rectal thermometer.
Thus, if you think you’ve come into contact with the virus, or if you have symptoms, isolate yourself and monitor your temperature every morning and evening for at least two weeks. Keep track of the readings you obtain within this time. A fever is the most common coronavirus symptom (COVID-19), but it’s sometimes lower than 100 F.
What Kind of Cough Is Common?
At least 60% of people with COVID-19 have a dry cough according to studies that were carried out earlier. Approximately, a third of them have a cough with mucus, called a “wet” or “productive” cough.
What Shortness of Breath Feels Like
The word doctors use for shortness of breath is Dyspnea. It can feel like you:
- Have tightness in your chest
- Can’t catch your breath
- Can’t get enough air into your lungs
- Can’t breathe deeply
- Are smothering, drowning, or suffocating
- Have to put in more effort than usual to breathe in or out
- Need to breathe in before you’re through breathing out
How Are Coronavirus Symptoms (COVID-19) Different from Cold Symptoms?
To begin with, Coronaviruses are actually one of the many types of viruses that can cause the common cold. In fact, it’s estimated that four types of human coronavirus are responsible for 10 to 30 percent of upper respiratory infections in adults according to Jama Network.
Some symptoms of the common cold include:
- runny or stuffy nose
- sore throat
- cough
- body aches and pains
- headache
Wondering how you can tell if you have a cold or COVID-19? Check your symptoms.
According to the CDC, typically, a cold is preceded by a sore throat and runny nose, which are less common symptoms of COVID-19.
In addition, fever is not as common in a cold.
How Are Coronavirus Symptoms (COVID-19) Different from Flu Symptoms?
You may have heard of the comparison between COVID-19 and flu. The flu is a common seasonal respiratory illness.
Continue reading this article to find out how you can tell the difference between the symptoms of these two infections.
First off, according to the CDC, the symptoms of the flu usually come suddenly, while COVID-19 symptoms seem to develop more gradually.
Common symptoms of the flu include:
- fever
- chills
- cough
- fatigue
- runny or stuffy nose
- sore throat
- headache
- body aches and pains
- vomiting or diarrhea
As you can see, there’s some overlap in symptoms between COVID-19 and the flu such as fatigue, cough, and fever. However, it’s important to note that a lot of the common symptoms of the flu are observed less often in cases of COVID-19.
The WHO also notes the following differences between the two of these:
- The flu has a smaller incubation period than that of COVID-19.
- Transmitting the virus before developing symptoms drives many influenza infections but doesn’t appear to play as much of a role for COVID-19.
- The percentage of people who develop serious symptoms or complications seems to be higher for COVID-19 than for the flu.
- COVID-19 seems to impact children with less frequency than the flu does.
- Currently, there is no vaccine or antivirals available for COVID-19. However, interventions are available for the flu.
How Are Coronavirus Symptoms (COVID-19) Different From Hay Fever Symptoms?
Another name for Hay fever is allergic rhinitis. It is another condition that might cause respiratory symptoms. It occurs when one is exposed to allergens like pollen, mold, dust, or pet dander in their environment.
Furthermore, the symptoms of hay fever are as follows:
- runny or stuffy nose
- cough
- sneezing
- itching of the eyes, nose, or throat
- swollen or puffy eyelids
One of the major symptoms of hay fever is itching, and this isn’t observed in COVID-19. In addition, hay fever is not associated with symptoms like fever or shortness of breath.
What You Should Do If You Think You Have Coronavirus Symptoms (COVID-19)
If you think that you have coronavirus symptoms (COVID-19), here’s what you should do:
1. Carefully Monitor Your Symptoms.
To begin with, everyone with COVID-19 does not require hospitalization. Nevertheless, keeping track of your symptoms is important since they may become more serious in the second week of illness.
2. Contact Your Doctor.
The second thing you should do is contact your doctor. Even if your symptoms are not serious, it’s still a good idea to call your doctor. This is so you can inform them about your symptoms and any potential exposure risks.
3. Get Tested.
The next thing you should do is to get yourself tested. Your doctor can work with local health authorities and the CDC to assess your symptoms and risk of exposure. This will help him to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
4. Stay Isolated.
After getting tested, the next line of action is to stay in isolation. Plan to isolate yourself at home until your infection clears up.
Furthermore, try to stay separated from other people in your home. Use a separate bedroom and bathroom if you can.
5. Seek Care.
Lastly, if your symptoms become worse, get immediate medical care. Make sure to call ahead before you arrive at a clinic or hospital. If available, wear a face mask.
Risk Factors
You have a higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 if you’ve been:
- living or traveling in an area where COVID-19 illness is widespread or community transmission is happening
- in close contact with someone who has been confirmed with an infection
Furthermore, doctors are still trying to understand who has a high risk of severe COVID-19. At the moment, the risk factors for severe disease seem to be:
- older age
- having underlying health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic heart or lung conditions
What You Should Do If You Want To Protect Yourself From Coronavirus
Below are tips you can follow to help protect yourself and other people from a SARS-CoV-2 infection:
1. Wash Your Hands.
The first tip we’ll talk about here is washing your hands. Make sure to wash your hands often with soap and warm running water. However, if this isn’t available, CDC recommends that you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that has at least 60 percent alcohol.
2. Avoid Touching Your Face or Mouth.
The second tip on our list is avoiding touching your face. This is something we should all take seriously because touching our faces or mouths when we haven’t washed your hands can transfer the virus to these areas and potentially make you sick.
3. Maintain Distance.
Next on our list is maintaining distance. Endeavor to avoid close contact with people who are ill. Also, if you’re around someone that’s coughing or sneezing, try to stay at least 6 feet away from the individual. Don’t try to take any chances as these are some of the coronavirus symptoms.
4. Don’t Share Personal Items.
Also on our list of prevention tips is to avoid sharing your personal items. This is because sharing items like eating utensils and drinking glasses can potentially spread the virus.
5. Cover Your Mouth Whenever You Sneeze or Cough.
Another preventive measure you can observe is to try to cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or into a tissue. Be sure to dispose of any used tissues immediately after you use them.
6. Stay Home If You’re Sick.
This might be difficult to observe especially if you’re not one used to staying indoors. However, if you’re already ill, try your best to stay at home until you fully recover.
7. Clean Surfaces.
Again, another prevention tip is using household cleaning sprays or wipes to clean high-touch surfaces like countertops, doorknobs, and keyboards.
8. Keep yourself informed.
Furthermore, the CDC continuously updates information on Coronavirus symptoms and other Coronavirus related areas as it becomes available. Also, the WHO publishes situation reports daily.
Conclusion
To begin with, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that’s caused by an infection with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The major symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
Furthermore, since COVID-19 can become serious, it’s very necessary to recognize how coronavirus symptoms differ from other conditions. To do this, you can carefully consider your symptoms, their development, and your risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Again, if you think that you have COVID-19, call your doctor immediately. It’s very important because they can help determine if you need to be tested. Plan to stay at home until you’ve made a full recovery. However, always seek emergency treatment if your symptoms begin to get worse.
The use of the first COVID-19 home testing kit was approved on April 21 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). People will be able to collect a nasal sample and mail it to a designated laboratory for testing using the cotton swab provided.
Additionally, the emergency use authorization specifies that the test kit is authorized for use by people who healthcare professionals have identified as having suspected COVID-19.
Lastly, there are no vaccines or antivirals available for COVID-19 at the moment. However, observing simple preventive measures can help protect you and others. These measures include things like frequent handwashing, not touching your face, and staying home when sick.
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