Most coronavirus infections cause just the common cold; there are more severe strains that can lead to severe pneumonia that requires hospitalization.
Please see the links below.
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930183-5
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(20)30211-7.pdf
There is a range of clinical symptoms seen in COVID-19 patients. However, different symptoms may be seen in different individuals or even in the same patient over time. Some common symptoms include fever, dry coughs, muscle ache and restlessness, diarrhea, and sneezing.
Differential diagnosis of Symptoms and signs of COVID-19
1. Air pollution: Dry cough + sneezing without fever or breathlessness (unless due to underlying asthma or COPD)
2. Common cold: Cough + mucus + sneezing + runny nose
3. Influenza: Cough + mucus + sneezing + runny nose + body ache + weakness +mild fever
4. COVID-19: Dry cough (productive in 10%) + sneezing + diarrhea + body pain + loss of smell/taste + weakness + high fever + difficulty breathing
Covid-19 is generally a mild, self-limiting illness causing fever, upper respiratory tract symptoms or mild gastrointestinal upset.
In a small percentage of cases it is severe (i.e. causes respiratory failure) or critical (i.e. causes multi-organ failure).
The availability of healthcare in general and specifically critical care will affect the case fatality rate of these patients. In China and Italy where large numbers of healthcare professionals were infected the capacity to deliver healthcare was substantially reduced. So excess deaths occurred.
The cause of respiratory failure has not, at present, been fully elucidated. There are several theories currently under investigation. However a systemic inflammatory response results in the progression to multi-organ failure.
The patients who are dying are generally those with impaired immunity. These patients are dying because of the damage the virus is causing to their bodies.
These patients may benefit from improved immunity.
However, some apparently normal patients are dying. I suspect that these
patients are dying from an exaggerated immune response (i.e. cytokine storm and other pathological immune responses). Boosting the immunity of these patients may actually exacerbate the disease!!
This is a very dynamic situation and the answers to this question may be completely different tomorrow.
So what should you do if you get Covid-19?
These recommendations apply to young adults with no medical conditions. If you have medical conditions or any concerns it is best to speak to your doctor for specific advice. This is particularly important if you have a pre-existing lung condition or are taking immunosuppressant medications.
Prepare for a nasty chest infection.
Things you have to hand
• face tissues,
• Acetaminophen; for a fever over 38°c, take acetaminophen rather than Ibuprofen.
• Generic, cough medicine to thin mucus (check the label make sure that it does not contain paracetamol; otherwise you could double dose and get side effects)
• vaporub for your chest is also a great suggestion.
• humidifier would be useful; however, turning on a hot shower and breathing in the steam in the bathroom may also help.
• Food: soups are ideal
• Drink: stay well hydrated, water is fine
• Rest and do not leave your house. You could be infectious for fourteen days. Avoid elderly people and those with pre-existing health conditions.
• Wear gloves and a mask to avoid transmitting the infection
• If you do not live alone. Isolate yourself in your bedroom. Ask those you live with to leave things outside to avoid contact.
• Wash your bed linen and clothes frequently. Clean your bathroom with sanitisers.
The vast majority of Covid-19 cases in healthy adults can manage at home with rest, hydration, acetaminophen, cough medicine.
Go to hospital if you are having trouble breathing or your fever is very high (over 39°C) and not settling with acetaminophen and cooling with ice packs or if you are worried, in distress or feel your symptoms are getting worse
In a meta-analysis of 50,466 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the most common symptoms in order of frequency were:
1. Fever 89.1%
2. Cough 72.2%
3. Muscle soreness or fatigue 42.5%
Diarrhea, hemoptysis, headache, sore throat, shock, and other symptoms occurred only in a small percentage of patients. Breathlessness is a warning symptom of impending ARDS and respiratory failure.
Article Clinical characteristics of 50466 hospitalized patients with...
Range of symptoms dry cough, fever, headaches, dizziness and diarrhea. Critical patients develop pneumonia.
Loss of tastes and smell and dry cough, fever, headaches, dizziness and diarrhea