fever, cough, loss of taste and smell … How to detect Covid-19?

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[UpdatedMarch242020[Misàjourle24 mars2020 at 4:53 p.m.]The coronavirus continues to spread considerably in France, while the peak is expected for the beginning of April. When the Covid-19 affects a patient in a mild way, this is manifested by symptoms quite similar to a simple flu, or even a severe cold. So how do you recognize the coronavirus if you are homebound or one of the working people? When to ask a doctor for a teleconsultation? When to call 15?

The symptoms of coronavirus begin with a dry cough, fever causing aches, headache and / or throat, runny nose … You must be very careful if breathing difficulties appear, an aggravating symptom of the disease . According to Jérôme Salomon, Director General of Health, a new symptom has been identified in patients with Covid-19 for several days: loss of taste and smell. This new symptom may make it easier to distinguish those of the coronavirus from that of the flu. Symptoms of the coronavirus or a simple flu? Difficult for some people to differentiate between the two, the first signs being sometimes very similar (cough, fever, fatigue, body aches …). A site has been set up to help you assess your symptoms yourself and determine whether you should just contact your doctor or call a doctor. Meeting on maladiecoronavirus.fr. On this site, you will answer 24 simple questions related to the symptoms of Covid-19, but also on your medical history. Please note, this is an assessment and not a diagnosis. Depending on the results, we advise you whether or not to call 15. Please also note that the data collected will be made available to the Institut Pasteur, co-developer of the site with medical specialists and the AP-HP.

The first symptoms of Covid-19 are quite similar to those of the seasonal flu, namely fever, dry cough and fatigue, as explained by the World Health Organization (WHO). These symptoms, most often mild, appear gradually, sometimes by a mild cough, or by a simple headache. Some people with the virus even sometimes have zero symptoms. It is the asymptomatic form of this infectious disease. You can therefore carry the virus without knowing it, but while being contagious and able to transmit it to your loved ones or to people you know.

One of the most common symptoms of Covid-19 disease is fever, like the flu. It is for this reason that the two diseases can be confused at first. The level of fever varies from one individual to another, but generally the coronavirus causes a fever of more than 38 °. If your only symptom is fever, do not call 15. If in doubt, stay home and call your doctor. Being feverish does not mean having contracted the coronavirus. If you want to fight fever or pain, prefer paracetamol to anti-inflammatory drugs and ibuprofen, which are suspected of worsening symptoms in case of coronavirus. If you have been in close contact with a sick person, take your temperature twice a day, and above all apply barrier gestures well (regular hand washing with soap and water, distance of one meter…).

In its mildest form, coronavirus causes the same symptoms as a heavy cold with a dry cough. Dry cough is one of the first symptoms often observed in people infected with the virus. But the coronavirus also causes body aches and headaches. Which should then alert you. If this is your case, consider coughing well in your elbow or in a disposable handkerchief so as not to contaminate the people around you. WHO advises calling your doctor if you have a dry cough.

As with the flu, a very common symptom of Covid-19 disease is muscle pain. If you have the feeling of body aches everywhere, it may be a sign that you have contracted the virus, or simply that you have the seasonal flu. If you are in this case, it is recommended to stay warm at home, take your temperature twice a day and once again apply the barrier gestures so as not to contaminate the people around you. Call your doctor, but don’t call it on the 15th, unless you are at risk or if you have aggravating symptoms such as breathing difficulties.

“The National Professional ENT Council (CNPORL) has informed us of the resurgence of cases of brutal anosmia”, said number 2 of the Ministry of Health on Sunday March 22, during its daily update on the progression of the virus in France. Anosmia corresponds to the “sudden disappearance of smell without nasal obstruction, without discharge, and which can occur in isolation”, in the words of Jérôme Salomon. If such a symptom occurs, he advises patients to call their doctor and avoid any self-medication “without specialist advice from their doctor or ENT doctor”. If anosmia is increasingly observed, and even “generally”, in young patients with coronavirus, Jérôme Salomon has all the same qualified by specifying that this symptom remained “quite rare”. During the question-and-answer session with the journalists, he specified that cases of loss of taste had also been noted, “even more rare”. These symptoms appear “usually on young people,” he said.

According to the WHO, the three main symptoms of coronavirus are therefore fever, fatigue and dry cough. In some people, other manifestations of the disease have been observed in addition to the three mentioned: nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and diarrhea. These symptoms are most often mild and appear gradually. Vomiting is not a symptom of the disease. You are asked to call your doctor in case of doubt. In 80% of cases, people recover without needing specific treatment.

Some people experience symptoms of tightness, nasal congestion, or severe sore throat after a few days. In the most serious cases, the disease degenerates and other more serious symptoms appear such as respiratory distress, acute renal failure, or even a multi-viceral failure that can lead to death, indicates the Ministry of Health. The WHO specifies that “approximately one in six people contracting the disease presents more serious symptoms, in particular dyspnea (breathing difficulties, note)”.

In babies and children, the symptoms of coronavirus are quite similar to those of mild flu. In most cases, the infection is mildly symptomatic. If young children and babies are less affected than adults by Covid-19, they can be infected, and therefore transmit the disease. Some may even have no symptoms, but may have contracted the virus and thus become contagious. It is therefore important that babies and children avoid contact with the elderly and people at risk in order to avoid any risk of contamination of these people.

The coronavirus affects more and more countries and more and more infected people are to be counted. The virus worries and it is important, as said throughout this article, to respect the measures put in place by the government: barrier gestures, exit restrictions and confinement. If in doubt, and if symptoms occur, do not panic, they are often mild. If you have any doubts or have a fever or dry cough, it is not necessarily necessary to call 15. A site, validated by the Ministry of Health has been put online to allow “s ‘Evaluate yourself’. On this site, a series of 24 questions will be asked with basic questions related to the symptoms but also on your medical history. Here is the link of the site which has already recorded more than 2 million visits: maladiecoronavirus.fr. Doctor Fabrice Denis, member of the Digital Alliance against Covid-19, however clarified that it was not a “diagnosis” but an “evaluation” since an algorithm then takes over. The latter being fed by available scientific data. If the results are not good, the site will advise you to contact immediately on the 15. Also know that the data collected will be made available to the Institut Pasteur, co-developer of the site with medical specialists and the AP-HP.

Here are also some tips on the best way to act when in doubt:

• If you have general questions about the virus, you can call the toll free number 0.800.130.000 (toll free).
• If you have a fever, a dry cough, or aches, you can call your doctor.
• In case of more severe symptoms, breathing difficulties or life-threatening emergency, do not go to the emergency room or your doctor, but contact 15 (or 114 for deaf or hard of hearing people). Stay at home and avoid direct contact with those around you.

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