Over the past few weeks, an HIV researcher and director of the University of Bonn's Institute of Virology has interviewed more than 100 people infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, revealing new symptoms affecting two of the five senses: smell and taste.
How does the new coronavirus affect the senses?
Streeck revealed that two-thirds of the COVID-19 patients he and his team of researchers interviewed described "loss of smell and taste" as one of their symptoms for several days, he explained in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
"It's gotten to the point where one mother couldn't smell her child's diaper. Others could no longer smell their shampoo, and food began to taste bland. We can't yet say exactly when these symptoms will appear, but we believe it's a little later in the coronavirus infection," the virologist explained.
However, Streeck has clarified that it is normal for coronavirus patients to only show "mild symptoms," as supported by a study conducted in China where, according to him, it is noted that "91 percent of those infected with coronavirus show only mild to moderate symptoms."
In addition to the loss of smell and taste, the research also determined that "diarrhea also occurred in our infected individuals in 30 percent of cases, which is more common than previously thought," reveals this German researcher, who, at the same time, insists that Covid-19 "is not that dangerous."
"It replicates in the upper throat and is therefore much more infectious because the virus jumps from throat to throat, so to speak," Streeck maintains. This, however, is an "advantage," he says, because, unlike SARS-1, it is not as likely to replicate in the deep lungs, which makes this other virus "more dangerous."
Main symptoms of the Covid-19 coronavirus
Fever is, in fact, one of the most common symptoms. In virtually all positive coronavirus cases, the patient exhibited this symptom, according to data available to the National Health System.
Cough was also present in 80 percent of the cases studied. A large proportion of those affected also had a sore throat, malaise, and dizziness, although the latter were less common.
There are other, lesser-known symptoms also associated with COVID-19. In fact, recent studies point to gastrointestinal symptoms that suggest possible fecal-oral transmission of the virus, such as the aforementioned diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
Coronavirus and Flu Symptoms: What Are the Differences?
Coronavirus and influenza present similar symptoms, although there are certainly differences between the two diseases, especially in their early stages. Thus, there are up to three similar symptoms and unique elements of each.
The average time per coronavirus infection is 9.5 days.
As a main difference, the Ministry of Health describes the initial symptoms of the flu as "suddenly beginning with fever and chills, accompanied by headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, general malaise, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and a dry cough," while the coronavirus is usually accompanied by respiratory problems and, occasionally, a headache.
The average duration of a coronavirus infection, which is the interval from the first day a patient tests positive until tests indicate they have recovered, is 9.5 days, although in some cases it has been extended to 21 days. In this sense, positive patients could develop a much more severe illness than those who initially show mild or asymptomatic symptoms.
The transmission period of coronavirus is up to 3 weeks.
The transmission period can be up to three weeks, during which time these patients could be contagious, even if they are asymptomatic, according to this study.
Meanwhile, epidemiological research has observed typical asymptomatic transmission to family members living under the same roof, who developed severe COVID-19 pneumonia. In general, asymptomatic coronavirus carriers identified through close contacts were likely to be mildly ill during hospitalization.
At: https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/sanidad-hoy/coronavirus-sintomas-estudio-apunta-perdidas-olfato-gusto-9641