DURBAN - The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any other early suspicious cases, so that the circulation of the virus can be better understood, encouraging doctors to check records for pneumonia cases of unspecified origin in late 2019.
The disease later identified as Covid-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January. However, a French hospital which retested old samples from pneumonia patients discovered that it treated a man who had Covid-19 as early as 27 December, nearly a month before the French government confirmed its first cases.
Below are signs that you may have been infected with Covid-19:
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A Fever Spike
Did you have a fever that came and went so quickly you brushed it off? Well, it could have been Covid-19. According to the
World Health Organization
, 87.9 percent of 55,924 laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus reported a fever—making it by far the most common symptom.
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Lost your sense of smell or taste
As many as 64.4 percent of people with Covid-19 report a loss of smell or taste, according to an April 2020 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Loss of smell and taste appear more commonly with Covid-19 than other respiratory viruses, but other viruses and non-infectious entities like allergies can cause these same symptoms.
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Your toes were a mess (Covid toes)
Dermatologists have observed purple lesions on the feet and hands of some patients with Covid-19 infection. These lesions are most often found in otherwise asymptomatic children and young adults and maybe itchy or painful. Severe Covid-19 infection may also increase the tendency of the blood to clot, depriving the skin of blood flow and leading to purple skin lesions.
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You had chills, muscle pain, or a sore throat
As doctors learn more about Covid-19 and how it behaves, the CDC has been adding to its symptom list. Other symptoms that could suggest Covid-19 include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, and a sore throat.
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You noticed a strange rash on your child
There have been concerning reports of rashes and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) who had the virus. Other
signs of MIS-C
include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, neck pain, and feeling tired. Rashes may present as small blisters, morbilliform ("measles-like") exanthems (many, often symmetric, pink-to-red bumps that can merge together), and hives (itchy red wheels on the skin).
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Your stomach was acting up
Coronavirus is a respiratory illness, but not everyone experiences coughing or shortness of breath. For some, diarrhoea may be the first and only sign of Covid-19. Researchers suggest that people with new-onset digestive symptoms such as diarrhoea who may have been in contact with individuals infected with Covid-19 should have a high index of suspicion.
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Disorientation
Some Covid-19 victims suffer from disorientation and confusion. One
study
published in JAMA found that over a third of hospitalized patients in Wuhan, China showed neurologic manifestations of the disease including loss of balance or coordination, loss of consciousness, and seizures.
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You had a stroke out of the blue
There’s a link between Covid-19 and stroke risk—even among younger patients. Here’s what doctors and researchers know so far about stroke risk and coronavirus. Plus, here are the warning signs of a blood clot or stroke, and what to do if you suspect a stroke.
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You woke up with pink eye
If you have recently suffered from conjunctivitis, a.k.a. pink eye, it could have been due to Covid-19. Several reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can cause mild follicular conjunctivitis otherwise indistinguishable from other viral causes, and possibly be transmitted by aerosol contact with conjunctiva.
According to Dr. Daniel Atkinson, GP Clinical Lead at
Treated.com
the only way to truly know if you had Covid-19 is by using an antibody test, a test that confirms whether or not someone had been infected with the virus in the past.
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