Citizen Times Desk: Dhaka, Jul-31,
Although Covid-19 can cause a range of symptoms for around two weeks, the type, order and progression of these indications can vary from case to case and person to person.
The type, severity, and progression of symptoms
shape how the virus affects a person's daily life. Some people may experience
no symptoms at all, while others will need to seek immediate medical attention.
Two periods of symptom
Symptoms usually begin 2 to 14 days after a person
catches the virus, most commonly after four to five days.
Most people will experience mild to moderate
symptoms, including flu or cold, during this period, according to the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, studies suggest the first Covid-19 symptom
to develop is likely to be fever, which is a temporary increase in body
temperature and different from influenza, where the first symptom is typically
a cough, according to a 2020 study in Frontiers in Public Health.
Next, Covid-19 may cause a cough, sore throat, and
body aches or headaches.
The Frontiers in Public Health study suggests that
Covid-19 could then cause nausea and vomiting, which would develop sooner than
it would in similar respiratory infections, such as MERS or SARS.
In severe cases, Covid-19 can require
hospitalisation. This typically occurs after seven days from the onset of
symptoms, a 2020 study in The Lancet suggested when the delta variant was yet
to emerge.
Some people will experience acute respiratory
distress syndrome after nine days. This is where the lungs fail to provide the
body with sufficient oxygen. Around 20% to 42% of people hospitalised with
Covid-19 experience this condition, according to the CDC.
In severe cases, doctors may admit people to an
intensive care unit (ICU) around 10 days after symptom onset. Around 26% to 32%
of people hospitalised with Covid-19 will require treatment in an intensive
care unit.
Also, Covid-19 symptoms could include tiredness,
loss of taste or smell, diarrhoea and nasal congestion, according to the CDC.
Some people will experience severe symptoms, such as
shortness of breath, confusion, chest pain or pressure, and difficulty moving
or talking, too.
People who experience these symptoms must seek
immediate medical attention.
Duration
The average recovery time was 16 days after
infection; however, it will vary from case to case, according to a 2021 study
in The Lancet.
Some symptoms may take longer to go away. For
example, loss of taste and smell can last for weeks or months, according to the
CDC.
Communicability of the virus
Most people can be around other people after 10 days
since their symptoms first appeared, as long as they have not experienced fever
for 24 hours and other symptoms are improving, as per the CDC.
People with severe Covid-19 symptoms or weakened
immune systems may need to isolate themselves for longer. The CDC recommends up
to 20 days of isolation after symptoms first occur in these cases. However, a
doctor may recommend a different duration, depending on the case.
People with a positive test result but without
Covid-19 symptoms are still infectious and should self-isolate for 10 days
after the date of the test.
Long-term effects
Most people will experience no long-term effects
from Covid-19.
However, some people may experience long Covid –
also known as long-haul Covid. This is where symptoms persist for several weeks
or months. The duration of time that symptoms must persist in long Covid
varies.
However, the CDC says, symptoms lasting four or more
weeks should constitute long Covid. It can include any Covid-19 symptoms and
can occur in people who experienced mild, moderate, or severe symptoms.
Delta variant symptoms
There are many variants of SARS-CoV-2 that can cause
Covid. Each variant is the result of a random mutation of the original virus.
The main variant of concern now in Bangladesh, and
indeed worldwide, is the Delta variant. This variant spreads more quickly than
the original virus, increasing the number of hospitalisations or deaths.
The variant is believed by the World Health
Organization to be 50% more transmissible and might become the dominant form of
the virus in the next few months.
Former Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control
and Research director Dr AM Zakir Hussain said, "The Delta variant of
SARS-CoV-2 is very different in many ways from its earlier variants. It shows
symptoms like a mild cold, runny nose and mild fever with head and body aches.
The variant's incubation period is four days – one or two days shorter than the
earlier variants."
"Delta's rate of multiplication is faster, and
volume in the nose is higher. It can directly go to the lungs. The variant's
spike is 75% efficient in sticking to its docking site in human host cells in
comparison to the Alpha variant's 50%."
"So, the variant causes higher
infections, overt manifestations and deaths. Due to
similarities with common colds and fevers, patients take a relatively long time
to understand if they are suffering from a seasonal cold or not and seek
medical attention late. The other reason for high deaths from the variant is the
paucity of ICUs. Vaccines are less effective in preventing second or third time
infection from the Delta variant," he added.
Warning signs
Mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 may not require
immediate medical attention. However, some Covid-19 cases cause severe
symptoms, which typically emerge after around a week. People with these
symptoms must seek immediate medical attention.
It is critical to contact a health professional for symptoms that include difficulty in breathing, chest pain or pressure, confusion, difficulty in remaining conscious, discoloured skin, lips, or nails, according to the CDC.
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