Introduction
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been a major health concern for the past year, and it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of the virus. In this article, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, shares his insights on the sure signs that you’ve already had COVID-19. He also provides advice on how to protect yourself and your family from the virus. Read on to learn more about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and how to stay safe.
Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID, Says Dr. Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, recently shared some sure signs that you may have already had COVID-19. Here’s what he had to say:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, it’s possible that you’ve already had COVID-19. However, it’s important to note that these symptoms can also be caused by other illnesses, so it’s best to consult your doctor if you’re experiencing any of them.
It’s also important to remember that even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you can still get it again. So it’s important to continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and wash your hands regularly to help prevent the spread of the virus.
As the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 spreads more freely in the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said, “I would not be surprised at all, if we do see somewhat of an uptick” in the Washington Post on Tuesday. Fauci noted that the subvariant does not seem to cause more severe disease. But BA.2, just like the COVID iterations before it, comes with the risk of “long COVID,” which Fauci is very concerned about. “Anywhere from 5 to 30 percent of people have a persistence measured in weeks to months of a constellation of signs and symptoms that still, in many respects, remain puzzling,” he said. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Up to 30% of people who’ve had COVID experience symptoms a full year after diagnosis, a study released this month. Among the most common is fatigue. Fauci has previously likened long COVID to chronic fatigue syndrome. “You can see people who’ve recovered who really do not get back to normal, that they have things that are highly suggestive of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.”
In addition to fatigue, Fauci said that long COVID can cause “brain fog” and “difficulty in concentrating.” Experts aren’t sure why. But several studies have found that COVID can have concerning effects on the brain—one recent study found that COVID infection can produce detrimental changes to the brain equivalent to ten years of aging. (Whether that’s temporary is unclear.)
Fauci has said that recurrent body aches, or myalgias, are a hallmark symptom of long COVID. They can appear anywhere in the body and may be caused by inflammation produced by the virus. They’re very common after COVID: One study of COVID “long haulers” found that 67 percent reported body aches.
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“We don’t know whether it’s cause‑effect or just related in a way that might not really be relevant, but we have to pay attention to it,” Fauci told the Post on Tuesday. “You know, it’s the idea of a high degree of a viral load, the idea of underlying diabetes, the idea of reactivation of underlying infections like EBV infections and things like that. Again, nothing solid to indicate that those are pathogenic events that are relevant, but these are things we’re keeping an eye out on.”
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“One of the positive things are that the data are pretty clear that if you are vaccinated and you get a breakthrough infection, you have less of a risk of getting long COVID than if you are infected not having been vaccinated, which is again—yet again—another argument for why it’s so important for us to get vaccinated and when vaccinated to get boosted,” said Fauci.
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Follow the fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live—get vaccinated ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.