British scientists published an article listing a wide range of COVID-19 symptoms which will allow more cases of coronavirus infection to be detected early or mild.
According to RIA Novosti, at the beginning of the pandemic, the authorities urged people to isolate themselves and get tested if they have a high fever, continuous dry cough, loss, or change of smell or taste.
However, many of the patients did not have these symptoms at all, or they appeared already in the later stages of the disease.
So in the UK, a loss of taste or smell was reported by 70% of cases, a cough - 63%, and a high temperature - only 45%.
Scientists decided to compile an expanded list of symptoms characteristic of the earliest stages of coronavirus infection. To do this, they analyzed the documents of official international organizations.
According to the authors' estimates, the official set of symptoms - cough, fever, loss of smell or taste - only identifies 69% of symptomatic cases, and the combination with a large coverage - fatigue, loss of smell or taste, cough, diarrhea, headache, sore throat - already 96%. For young people under 17 years old, the most indicative sign is headache, for people over 18 years old - loss of appetite, from 18 to 54 years old - muscle pain.
This approach, according to the researchers, will increase the detection of coronavirus in the early stages by at least a third, which will help to cope with the pandemic faster.
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