Due to the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, one of the best ways for each of us to play our part in preventing the spread of the virus – saving lives in the process – is to effectively identify an infection early on. So, what is the first sign that you have? From the long list of symptoms that appears on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, there are two that usually appear days before others. Carlos R. Oliveira, MD, Ph.D., Yale Medicine pediatric infectious disease physician, reveals Eat this, not that! Cheers what are they. Keep reading – and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Clear signs that you’ve had the coronavirus.
You are likely to experience fatigue and headache first
“There is a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations after COVID-19 infections”, explains Dr. Oliveira. According to the CDC, the most common are fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body pain, headache, new loss of smell or taste, sore throat, congestion or runny nose , nausea or vomiting and diarrhea. Although most people assume that the first sign of COVID-19 involves a change in temperature, there are two other non-specific symptoms that usually appear first.
“Although fever is often considered the first manifestation after infection, nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue and headaches are more likely to be reported before fevers”, reveals Dr. Oliveira.
These symptoms result from the initial activation of the immune system, “much like what has been reported to occur after immunization,” he explains. Therefore, although fever or temperatures above 100.4 ° F occur in approximately half of the cases of COVID-19, they may show nonspecific symptoms for one to two days.
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How to stay healthy during the pandemic
As asymptomatic spread is a common feature of COVID, taking precautions even when you feel healthy is crucial to preventing the virus from spreading. So follow Dr. Anthony Fauci’s fundamentals and help stop this wave, no matter where you live – use a face mask, social distance, avoid large crowds, do not go home with people you are not sheltering (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, be vaccinated when it is available to you and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 places you’re most likely to reach COVID.