The problem lies in spotting COVID symptoms
Coronavirus attacks human beings in mysterious ways. The mystery lies in decoding the symptoms of this viral attack as many of these symptoms resemble the symptoms of common cold and other common respiratory infections.
When on one hand COVID testing is considered to be a gold standard measure for tracing and understanding the nature of the virus along with curbing its spread, the close resemblance of COVID symptoms with other infections affects the testing process. People do not go for testing as they are unable to differentiate COVID symptoms from the symptoms of other infections.
Read: Top reasons why people are resisting booster doses in India
It might be regular cough and cold
To this day, people do not consider going for a COVID test if they have a cough and cold. They consider it to be a sign of a flu and take regular medicines and home remedies and wait for it to go away.
In this, while the concerned person is not harmed by the virus there are chances he or she may have transmitted it to others for whom the infection might have got serious.
A pill can help me during fever
Fever is a common sign of COVID and several other infections. It is the way the body reacts to the foreign invaders while its immunity system fights against it.
Many people ignore fever or feverish feeling and try to subside it with common drugs like paracetamol. However, a COVID test can actually help you with the exact dosage and help you recover faster.
My throat hurts, it might be because of the cold water
Drinking cold water, or water that is way too cold than one’s body can tolerate, might lead to sore throat, but it is also a possibility that you are infected with the coronavirus.
Sore throat, as a main symptom of COVID, was massively seen in patients during the third wave of COVID.
Fatigue goes away on its own
Fatigue is seen in almost every COVID patient. It lingers for a longer duration; for even months after the COVID infection.
While there are several reasons for fatigue, the possibility of COVID infection should not be ruled out in view of the growing cases of COVID and the emergence of new variants from time to time.
This headache might be due to some other reason
That brain hurting headache might be because of COVID and not something else. Headache is another sign of COVID which is reported in the majority of the cases.
Again, headache is a symptom of most of the infections, but the prevalence of COVID calls for attention towards this seemingly common health issue.
May be I have acidity and it’s heartburn
A little discomfort in the chest is usually handled with drinking water or having antacid gels. But one should note that COVID has a debilitating effect on the human heart health and just as other heart complications the signs are mild in the beginning and gradually get severe.
A mild discomfort in the chest should never be ignored and proper COVID tests should be done.
My stomach hurts, may be because of something I ate
That abdominal pain you are experiencing lately might be due to COVID. It might have happened that the viral attack did not show any severe symptoms during the course of infection but due to no medical interference it got severe and has affected your abdominal health.
Vomiting: It might be due to something I ate
Sudden episodes of vomiting can be a potential indicator of a pathogen attack. Nausea and vomiting are the primary indicators of COVID just like headache and cough.
Considering the growing number of cases, do not ignore vomiting if they continue for longer periods.
Diarrhea: May be my food was infected
Sudden bouts of diarrhea, without any reason to be held accountable for, is a strong indication of a COVID attack. While on the outside you may look asymptomatic, but the virus is multiplying inside you and has taken over your stomach health.
Skin rash might be due to some allergen exposure
While this is plausible, occurence of skin rash in COVID cases has also been reported. The number of such cases is low in comparison to other effects of the COVID but if one gets skin rashes all of a sudden without any possible explanation, it is advisable to contact a doctor and get tested for COVID.
Bottom line
With the large scale prevalence of the virus, it is evident that all the symptoms that might confuse you with some other infection, should not be ignored.
One should always get ready for COVID testing and if found positive one should alert others who were in contact and advise them to isolate themselves and stop spreading the virus.