General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums*** Important COVID-19 statistic: only 44% of cases present with fever. ***
They might just present with cold or allergy symptoms.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927264?fbclid=IwAR3nL8BkEe2kKA00nG2_jwA6QpaCuk8BbHaEW4fGdppg1J0Lle-5S2lzqJA#vp_2
Allergistimmunologist Grayson also noted one particularly concerning observation in updated CDC guidance about presenting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 is that not all patients are febrile.
With the start of allergy season, this makes identification of COVID-19 especially challenging.
"What's scaring me is that only 44% are presenting to the hospital with fever. Cough, congestion, and rhinorrhea could be allergies or it could also be COVID-19. I have no idea, and now they're standing in front of my nurses coughing in their faces great," he told Medscape Medical News.
"We were just discussing that in our office," agreed Hill. "Essentially, our message to patients is if you're not feeling well stay home. Normally when somebody's sick we want to see them but now we don't, so we're looking at telehealth options. And if they're really sick, the hospital has a special central area."
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Hoyt
(54,770 posts)to go to the ER.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)is to go to Emergency Rooms because ER rooms cannot turn them away.
But people can feel terrible with aches, pains, diarrhea, breathing issues, and other problems without having a fever high enough for doctors to test them for Covid-19. That's unfortunate because many actual Covid19 cases don't have a fever.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)He says 44 % of people showing up in the hospitals with cough and congestion have fever, not that only 44% of covid patients have fever.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)Allergistimmunologist Grayson also noted one particularly concerning observation in updated CDC guidance about presenting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 is that not all patients are febrile.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)But when he says 44% show up without fever, he is talking about everybody who shows up.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)might be overlooked because many of them don't have fevers.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)will go on to spread the virus.
The scary thing about COVID-19 is in the word "novel". So much is unknown. The fact that we have a clown leading the effort to better understand it also is scary.
radius777
(3,635 posts)such as if you get it you will have immunity. We don't know this for sure, or how the virus mutates. Remember the common flu requires a new vaccine every year because it changes, and any prior immunity is null and void.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)What he says there he doesn't know if people who show up, 44% of whom have fever, could have covid or could have allergies. That's why he says "I have no idea" what they have.
""What's scaring me is that only 44% are presenting to the hospital with fever. Cough, congestion, and rhinorrhea could be allergies or it could also be COVID-19. I have no idea, and now they're standing in front of my nurses coughing in their faces great," he told Medscape Medical News. "
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927264?fbclid=IwAR3nL8BkEe2kKA00nG2_jwA6QpaCuk8BbHaEW4fGdppg1J0Lle-5S2lzqJA#vp_2
Vivienne235729
(3,384 posts)But then, I read somewhere else that it was 40+% that are afebrile so this makes sense. I have been screaming from the rooftops that checking a temp is not enough. We need to be testing nearly everyone. Like they did in S. Korea.
Siwsan
(26,289 posts)As in, if you are asymptomatic, or your symptoms are mild or moderate enough to be manageable at home would you still be considered to have the actual disease (Covid-19)? This is where I get really confused.
Lochloosa
(16,067 posts)Siwsan
(26,289 posts)As in the way the rubella virus causes the disease measles. I also understand that there are lots of coronaviruses that are just not as virulent so you can come down with one that has no connection to Covid-19. It makes the head spin.
I guess it all boils down to vulnerabilities in the individual's immune system. Fortunately, up to this point in my life, mine has been pretty healthy. Hope that holds true.
Lochloosa
(16,067 posts)Covid-19 is the official name of this virus. Some people have immunity to the others so they are not considered novel anymore.
Siwsan
(26,289 posts)That whole 'novel' label was kind of confusing, to me, but then I've never had to deal with stuff like this. Heck, I've never even had the flu.
Thanks, again!
radius777
(3,635 posts)Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, Central China, and has since spread globally, resulting in the 201920 coronavirus pandemic.
It's a new (novel) coronavirus.
If you test positive for the virus you have Covid-19, whether or not you show symptoms.
IOW, there's no classification of degree, like with HIV, where one can test positive but not yet have 'full blown' AIDS.
uponit7771
(90,356 posts)Vivienne235729
(3,384 posts)Like SARS. And now SARS-Covid-19. And even the one we have now has already mutated into 2 strains: the L and S strains.
Siwsan
(26,289 posts)I've never even had the plain old seasonal flu.
JudyM
(29,265 posts)The common cold is also part of the coronavirus family.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)One causes a fever, the other doesn't.
When the Swine Flu struck the USA in 2009, what made corralling it so difficult was that the strain that stuck was novel, and had taken genetic material from two strains of Swine Flu, yet didn't respond to therapy the same way either of it's predecessors did.
I easy see COVID-19 getting into 30-40 million people easily. If the current 1.4% fatality rate holds, that works out to 420,000-560,000 dead people. I just don't see Trump displaying leadership competence, nor do I expect him to.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)My sinuses went berserk and I had this awful dry cough for about 3 weeks. Sinus drainage like crazy. It was weird cuz I dont normally have allergy issues in January.
I wish I could get an antibody test. If I am positive I have resolved it and my plasma could be useful others.
The numbers of positive tests are going to go way UP because its been here longer than we think.
highplainsdem
(49,025 posts)wasn't identified till January 21st.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)Siwsan
(26,289 posts)No fever, no fatigue, no aches and pains, no breathing problems. Just a scratchy throat for a few hours then abundantly flowing sinuses and a mild cough that seemed to go on and on. I still have a little bit of an occasional cough and sneezing but I think the sneezing has more to do with allergies.
I wonder if future blood screens will include something to see if people have the antibody.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)We had a thread on this a while back. In fact, I was slumming over at Freeperville the other night to check in on the non-contacted tribe there, and they were going on about the same thing.
I had gone in for my physical shortly after it resolved, and my doc said, "Yeah, there's a thing going around."
I doubt that thing was this, primarily because of the absence of significant mortality at the time.
Siwsan
(26,289 posts)All I can do is take every precaution I can, now, to avoid this virus. My county has just recently started to get tests back. We're up to 14 identified cases. When it was at 7, at least 4 of those cases were able to self quarantine at home. The reporting has pretty much given up on including such details, now.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)strains. I think that it has been reported that China did not see the mortality level difference between males and females that our country and Europe are seeing. Could we be dealing with one or two mutants of the virus?
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I have been blaming it on allergies, but I can't be sure.
I had a terrible cold with a violent cough from the end of Thanksgiving through New Year's. It kind of subsided, but hasn't really gone away completely. Mostly sinus congestion and some residual coughing which I have attributed to post-nasal drip, but some days it is pretty bad.
Still, I have not had a fever or any body aches. However I have had some intestinal distress off and on. I did go through something like this about 15 years ago when I lived in NYC, where I just seemed to have this cold that lingered all winter long. I finally went to a specialist who told me my lungs were clear and suggested that I do nasal irrigation for a number of days, and it worked. I think I might need to do that again, as much as I hated it.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I don't have a problem now. I have always had a dry cough, with something seemingly stuck in my throat, flum that won't clear, I inherited that from my Mom. When things seemed to have gotten worse, I drank a concoction that I call "nasty water", thinking that I would call my Doctor's office in the AM. When I awoke the problem was better and hasn't come back. I continue to drink nasty water at least once on most days since, beats whatever I was getting.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)the inherited problem that I have clearing flum from my throat during dry and pollen heavy periods.
It is 12 ounces of boiling purified water or distilled water (I guess you can use tap, I never do), 1 tablespoon of raw honey, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. The aroma is nice, the taste is tolerable, but given what it does for me, I will take the taste any day.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I may have to try that!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Last edited Tue Mar 24, 2020, 05:57 PM - Edit history (1)
I developed a headache and was lethargic, two things which seldom happen to me.Because December-January weather seemed warmer for me and I didn't develop the throat issue for a while, I stopped making the concoction, until I got the headache and actually went to bed at 8pm one day, because I was not feeling chipper.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)These are scary times when one is feeling unwell. Take care!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Yes, truly scary times.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)Sore throat, but no fever. A co-worker had the same and had just traveled.
I caught it too now, and I DO have a low grade fever, no fatigue though, and no sore throat.
It has been hanging around for almost two weeks. Is it COVID-19? I'll never know unless an ELISA test comes out.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Yep. It would be extremely useful, as things move forward, to identify persons who have had it. There have been anecdotal reports of reinfection, but there are anecdotal reports of alien abductions too, so...
But, in any event, there was "thing" that seemed to have gone around in January that a lot of people seem to have had.
However, the thing about that "thing" was that it didn't result in a significant uptick in the kind of massive lung infection and damage that seems to be the course in a significant number of covid-19 cases.
So, I'm inclined to think (and yes I had that "thing" too) that it's a heaping helping of wishful thinking that we might have had it already.
But, yeah, I had it just after getting back from an international conference toward the end of January.
bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)Lasted four weeks and I got it in January. I had intermittent chills too.
I swear I had this.
uponit7771
(90,356 posts)Tribetime
(4,701 posts)And 88% of everybody who got the virus would have a fever
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)LisaL
(44,974 posts)pnwmom
(108,990 posts)simply because they're screening people out of hospitals if they don''t have high fevers.
But that doesn't mean 88% of people with the virus have fevers.
uponit7771
(90,356 posts)Meowmee
(5,164 posts)In late January and when I went to a clinic in early February they were already scared and wearing masks. I had a low fever at some point briefly. They decided it was not covid 19 and I took two courses antibiotics for what was then definitely a bad sinus infection. I was also coughing etc. it started with a terrible runny nose, aches etc which went away after a day but which kept coming back. Now I started with first stomach upset and now a consistent cough and what seems like bronchitis yesterday. I have had a low fever briefly on and off. Still no test but my doc did bw friday and wbc is ok so he thinks it is not covid 19. I started taking lysine yesterday, resting a lot and I feel a bit better. My county has 1034 known cases now. I would like an antibody test as well.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)Meowmee
(5,164 posts)delisen
(6,044 posts)Goodheart
(5,335 posts)I thought it was the weirdest cold ever. Weak, not a whole lot of head congestion, breathing a bit labored, but no fever.
This is weird, I thought... maybe the flu, instead? But, no, I don't have a fever. What gives.
I know a couple of other people with the same symptoms.
pnwmom
(108,990 posts)by her airline to tell her she'd been exposed to the virus. When she called her public health dept. they wouldn't test her because her fever wasn't HIGH ENOUGH.
marlakay
(11,484 posts)Sneezing, sinus headaches, runny nose, etc.
I didnt go out until it was almost gone since I am retired, now mild symptoms but just when i do dog walks from being near trees, etc
I guess I figured if it was more I would get fever, major aches and breathing problems.
flamingdem
(39,319 posts)So that might mean it's probably allergies.
CountAllVotes
(20,877 posts)One researcher thought there were as many as 1,500 strains of COVID-19.
If this is true, that would explain why there are so many different symptoms when it presents.
duforsure
(11,885 posts)Thinking it was a fluke, then came down with it. We check temperature , oxygen, heart rate with a finger clip on, blood pressure, and monitor it closely with the wife. We know if it gets really bad where we live we could be not able to get the help we need if the hospitals are over ridden and unable to provide anything to help.
Sancho
(9,070 posts)...my wife and I had a bad cold in Feb. No fever, but all the other symptoms.
The doc said he couldn't not always tell what was allergy or cold or flu, and he could not get a covid-19 test at that time.
The answer to this mess is rapid and available testing (like South Korea did effectively).
Right now, we go out for groceries or medicine, but much of Florida is business as usual.
Our schools are shut down, so we are teaching on line from home.