CoViD Symptoms

Symptom series
Three classics, fever, persistent cough, anosmia
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Reported more often by people who have a positive test than those testing negative
Some people may only experience one symptom during the whole course of their illness
Others may have many.
The more symptoms you have, increased risk of needing hospitalisation
Fever
Chills, shivers, rigor
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About 40% of cases
60% do not have a fever
One in 20, fever is the only feature
First week of illness, usually short lived
Under 65, 37.8 C, 100.04
Over 65, 37.4 C 99.32
Often with symptoms like fatigue and headaches, persistent coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, sore throat, skipped meals, unusual muscle pains, dizziness, diarrhoea
Persistent cough
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About 46% of cases in adults
54% do not have a persistent cough
One in 10, persistent cough is the only feature
Cough in children
26% have a persistent cough
74% do not
Usually starts early or in the first few days
Usually lasts 4 or 5 days
Usually a dry (unproductive) cough
Unless normally cough up phlegm or mucus
If start coughing up yellow or green phlegm (‘gunk’), additional bacterial infection
Often with symptoms like a sore throat, chest pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness and loss of smell.
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases
Anosmia
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Loss or change of taste, dysgeusia
Changes in smell perception
Usually starts early, lasts for 5 days
May last for several weeks
Adults, 16 - 65
60%, at some point in their illness
Only symptom, 38%
Over 65s
About 50%
Only symptom, 15%
Children
35%
Only symptom, 22%
Often occurs with fatigue tiredness and headaches, fever, sore throat, persistent cough
Older people, skip meals, unusual muscle pains
Headache
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What are headaches like in COVID-19?
Often an early symptom
More common than the classic symptoms of cough, fever and loss of smell
Most people with a headache will not have COVID-19
Only symptom, 15%
Adults
About 70%
Children
About 60%
COVID headaches, tend to:
Be moderately to severely painful
Feel ‘pulsing’, ‘pressing’ or ‘stabbing’
Occur across both sides of the head (bilateral) rather than in one area
Last for more than three days
Be resistant to regular painkillers
We aren’t sure why COVID-19 causes headaches
Usually comes on at the very start of the illness
Usually lasts for three to five days
Some people can suffer headaches for much longer
Commonly reported in Post COVID syndrome (Long-COVID)
These headaches often come and go but gradually reduce over time
Often occurs with fatigue, loss of smell (anosmia), sore throat, fever, unusual muscle pains, a persistent cough, dizziness
Unusual tiredness (fatigue)
Sore throat
Sudden confusion (delirium), especially in older people
Skin rash
Changes in the mouth or tongue (COVID tongue)
Red and sore fingers or toes (COVID fingers/toes)
Shortness of breath
Chest pains
Muscle pains
Hoarse voice
Diarrhoea
Skipping meals
Abdominal pains
Runny nose