- Although most symptoms of COVID-19 are mild, there are some emergency symptoms that require immediate medical attention.
- Some of these warning signs, according to the CDC, include difficulty breathing, confusion and an inability to stay awake.
- To date, the United States has seen more than 24.5 million cases of coronavirus and more than 408,000 associated deaths.
With the U.S. still seeing close to 200,000 new coronavirus infections a day, it is more important than ever for people to remain aware of the common symptoms of COVID-19. And since the symptoms of COVID tend to reflect the symptoms typically seen in the flu, it is equally crucial that people get tested for the virus if they have been exposed to someone who may have it or if they start to notice the symptoms.
Although many of the most common symptoms of COVID are likely to be familiar to almost everyone now (ie fever, chills, cough, body aches, sudden loss of taste and smell, fatigue), there are some emergency COVID warning signs that require immediate medical attention.
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According to the CDC, there are five symptoms of coronavirus that should prompt someone to call 911 or go immediately to a nearby emergency room. That list includes:
- Breathing problems
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake up or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
The CDC adds that if any of the above symptoms develop, you should tell the 911 operator or your doctor that you may have COVID.
“This list does not contain all possible symptoms,” says the CDC. “Call your doctor for any other serious or worrying symptoms for you.”
Although many people with COVID are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, a severe case of coronavirus is particularly unpleasant and can wreak havoc on the patient’s entire body. In addition to damage to the lungs and heart, many patients with COVID indicated that they often experience persistent symptoms for weeks and even months after the initial diagnosis. This phenomenon has been classified as long COVID and, in addition to physical symptoms, has also been shown to have a detrimental cognitive impact.
A study conducted at the end of last year found that cognitive decline in some patients with Long COVID who initially required hospitalization is equivalent to a 10-year-old brain aging. Some specific cognitive symptoms include memory problems, difficulty concentrating on specific tasks, confusion and even minor personality changes.
Suffice it to say that coronavirus in its worst form is an exceptionally unpleasant and dangerous virus and people should be aware when seeking medical attention is critical.
As it stands now, January appears to be the worst month of the entire pandemic, a dynamic that many health experts have predicted for Christmas and New Year. Despite the CDC urging everyone to stay home, millions of Americans threw caution to the wind and returned home in December. Consequently, it is no surprise that the United States has begun to see a massive increase in the infection rate from late December to early January.
With February coming up, the good news is that the infection rate is finally starting to drop. Although the total number of new cases is still in the range of 180,000 to 200,000, the infection rate has dropped by almost 17% in the past two weeks. This, along with what we can only hope to be an accelerated vaccination program, will ideally help the United States to obtain collective immunity sometime this summer.
A longtime Mac user and Apple enthusiast, Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the technology industry in general for over 6 years. His writings were published in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK and, more recently, TUAW. When not writing and analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys watching Improv shows in Chicago, playing football and cultivating new addictions to TV shows, the most recent examples being The Walking Dead and Broad City.