Now that we know almost everything about coronavirus, our previous sick leave involuntarily are recalled.
Maybe somewhere in February or early March you got a particularly severe flu? Or did ARVI cough longer than usual? Could it be a coronavirus?
The World Health Organization has officially declared the outbreak of coronavirus a pandemic, as the number of reported cases continues to grow in more than 100 countries.
We all know about this, many have suffered to one degree or another. And almost every one of us was forced to change our usual way of life.
The main symptoms of coronavirus:
- cough
- dyspnea
- heat
Possible symptoms:
- nausea or diarrhea
- headache
- sore throat
At the onset of the disease, some people notice a loss of smell or taste.
All these symptoms are easily mistaken for a severe cold or flu, especially if we have a “mild” case of coronavirus infection. Some people have no symptoms at all, even if the body gets infected and fights the infection. In some, the disease passes so easily that they do not even have time to notice it in the daily rush.
A mild illness is good. Or not?
Many patients noted that their symptoms were very mild, far from as terrible as they are described on news sites.
This is good news and, at the same time, very bad.
It’s great that coronavirus is not fatal for the vast majority of those infected. But a large number of mild or asymptomatic cases of infection make it difficult to track and control a pandemic. People who do not consider themselves sick are more careless, they often leave the house without urgent need and are less afraid of contacting other people.
This is why – especially if you are healthy and young – it is so important to pay attention to the mild symptoms that you may have. This is necessary not only to preserve your health, but also for the safety of other people, perhaps not so lucky.
Can there be more cases than in official statistics?
This is pretty likely.
Coronavirus infection in the mild course is similar to a common cold, in extreme cases – a mild version of the flu. So, at least, say doctors and virologist experts.
Cough, sore throat, and stuffy nose are completely non-specific symptoms, and many believe they have the common ARD.
There may be more people who have had coronavirus than official statistics say. Not because of the special insidiousness of healthcare providers, but because of the technical impossibility to test absolutely every person with flu-like symptoms (or even without them).
The incubation period of coronavirus is quite wide, it can be from 2 to 14 days (more often – about 5) before the onset of the first symptoms.
Such a long period of infection development makes diagnosis even more difficult, and the spread of the virus, on the contrary, simplifies.
What is the mild course of COVID-19?
In symptoms that we usually don’t even think about. “Think of a runny nose. Well, the temperature has risen a bit, 37.2 – this is generally a variant of the norm. Is it sore throat? I drank cold lemonade. ”
We tend to ignore the symptoms that we attribute to the common cold, and these may be early signs of a coronavirus.
How to distinguish coronavirus on time? Or, just as importantly, to understand that you have already been ill with them? Immunity would make our lives much easier – at least by removing some of the anxiety.
Here are some specific symptoms of coronavirus:
1. Conjunctivitis
Follicular conjunctivitis has been reported in a number of patients with COVID-19. It can be expressed in the eyes, “bloodshot”, burning, accumulation of pus, sticking to the eyelashes. Itching is also quite likely.
2. Loss of smell
This is one of the most common symptoms of coronavirus, as confirmed by both foreign and domestic experts.
As the scientists found out, some cells in the nasal mucosa contain proteins, according to which the SARS-CoV-2 strain beats in the first place.
It is with their help that the infection enters the body.
People with this symptom become excellent carriers of the coronavirus, as they often do not understand that they are sick. And they sometimes give low ratings to their favorite delivery restaurants, deciding that they suddenly spoiled the cook!
3. Abdominal pain
In some people, abdominal pain can become an independent symptom. But sometimes it means the development of inferior pneumonia.
4. Fatigue
Sometimes a feeling of unusually intense fatigue is a symptom of a coronavirus. If this feeling is not the result of overwork, you should pay special attention to it.
5. Diarrhea
Chinese scientists found this symptom in half of the first 204 patients examined. You should take diarrhea seriously, consult a doctor (for example, using telemedicine), and remain in isolation.
It is not known for certain when the coronavirus began to spread around the world.
Border control checked the temperature of people who arrived from the outbreaks of the epidemic, but, as we know, in many cases the temperature may not be at all.
Some experts suspect that the first cases in the USA, Europe and Russia appeared earlier than they were diagnosed.
A long incubation period also mixes cards. Perhaps we will find out the truth only after the pandemic decline, when scientists analyze the genetic code of the virus and track the spread of the virus by mutations in the strain.
I was sick in February! So I have immunity?
We do not know. And you do not know. It is impossible to determine if the severe flu that knocked you down in February was coronavirus, so the strategy remains the same.
Be extremely careful:
- act as if you could become infected with a coronavirus (or become a vector)
- keep your distance
- stay in isolation
- wear a mask if you leave home
- wash your hands for at least 20 seconds
Before the advent of the vaccine, which doctors and scientists will be sure of, we, unfortunately, cannot do anything else.
We do not have collective immunity to coronavirus
This means that COVID-19 will decline in two cases:
- The majority of the population is ill. This is a bad option, because a steep incidence curve will overthrow the healthcare system, grabbing those who need ongoing medical care but are not sick with coronavirus. And our medicine is breathing without incense.
- Most people will be vaccinated. The vaccine is expected in the fall, and animal tests are beginning to be carried out now (for example, in Turkey). Human trials are still a long way off, not to mention getting the vaccine on sale.
Is it possible to do a test for antibodies to coronavirus?
Antibody tests are not yet available to the general public. They already exist, and their accuracy is gradually increasing.
The development and production of such tests took significantly less time than usually required (and much less than scientists predicted), but they have not yet entered a wide market.
We can only wait. It will take at least a few weeks (with an optimistic scenario) until the moment when we can pass the tests and find out for sure.
You may be comforted by the fact that governments around the world are interested in the widespread dissemination of antibody tests. This is practically the only way to return the economy to normal functioning – by testing people and allowing them to get started.
If you observe symptoms of coronavirus infection, be safe. It is better to isolate yourself in vain with a common cold than to be too careless with a coronavirus. We are all potential carriers, and this is a great force, entailing a great responsibility. Take care of yourself and others.
Read also: Watch your breath: what symptoms of coronavirus require urgent medical attention
How long does a coronavirus live in the air?
Is BCG vaccine protective against coronavirus?
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