Introduction
As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. While some people may experience mild symptoms, others may have more severe symptoms that require medical attention. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the sure signs that you may have already had COVID-19, according to experts. We’ll also provide tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus.
Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID, Warn Experts
As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. But experts are now warning that some of the signs of the virus may be more subtle than previously thought, and that you may have already had the virus without even knowing it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. But some people may experience other symptoms, such as fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, and nausea or vomiting.
However, experts are now warning that some of the signs of the virus may be more subtle than previously thought, and that you may have already had the virus without even knowing it. Here are some of the sure signs that you may have already had COVID-19, according to experts:
- Unexplained fatigue: If you’ve been feeling unusually tired for an extended period of time, it could be a sign that you’ve already had the virus.
- Loss of smell or taste: This is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, and if you’ve experienced it, it could be a sign that you’ve already had the virus.
- Gastrointestinal issues: If you’ve been experiencing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, it could be a sign that you’ve already had the virus.
- Body aches: If you’ve been experiencing body aches, it could be a sign that you’ve already had the virus.
- Fever: If you’ve had a fever, it could be a sign that you’ve already had the virus.
If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, it’s important to contact your doctor and get tested for COVID-19. It’s also important to practice social distancing, wear a face mask, and wash your hands frequently to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Catching coronavirus is bad enough, but what if the symptoms never stop? Long COVID can affect anyone, and those it has are often called Long Haulers. “There’s a variety of presentations that people can have. And this is ranging from those that were hospitalized to those that were even not hospitalized at all,” says Dr. Natalia Covarrubias-Eckardt in a Providence presentation. Why? “We have no clue, so everybody’s different and everyone’s presentation is different, which is why this is a really interesting syndrome. Some people have that just for a couple of days. Some don’t get it at all, whereas others are still fighting with it when they were first diagnosed back when the COVID first hit us. And we’re still learning about why this happens. There are some theories that it’s an immune response and inflammatory response, and some people have higher inflammatory responses to the virus than other patients, but we still don’t know a hundred percent.” What we do know are the symptoms. Read on to hear about some of the most common—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
You may have a crushing fatigue, or “just having decreased endurance and not being able to do their activities as they were before,” says Dr. Covarrubias-Eckardt. Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that Long COVID resembles chronic fatigue syndrome, aka CFS or myalgic encephalomyelitis. As you can guess from the name, the hallmark symptom is fatigue.
“When it comes to headaches, there has also been recent data — that was actually an interesting study that looked at long-term neurologic complications following COVID infections — and headache tends to be one of the most common long-term complications that we see after COVID,” Dr. Emad Estemalik, a headache specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells WYTV.
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Brain fog “can include short term memory, loss, confusion, difficulty concentrating, or just feeling different than they did before they had the infection,” says Dr. Halena Gazelka of the Mayo Clinic. “As we’ve learned from a year of dealing with COVID-19, the signs and symptoms of viral and of the viral infection can vary widely from individual to individual. And that’s true of the long-term effects as well.” “Quite honestly, anybody can develop it,” says Dr. Billie Schultz of the Mayo Clinic. “So they’ve looked at who is more likely to have these symptoms that linger, and maybe there’s a trend toward if you’re older or have other medical conditions going on, but honestly, anybody can, it doesn’t depend doesn’t necessarily depend on the severity of the COVID infection. It doesn’t necessarily depend on the patient’s age. It doesn’t necessarily depend on their educational level. It can really be anybody that we see.”
“The long lasting damage that we’re seeing tends to be more in patients who had more severe respiratory issues. So people are having interstitial lung disease requiring ongoing management with pulmonology. We are seeing people who have myopathies or neuropathy. So those are damaged to muscle and nerves, and those ones are taking a lot longer to recover and still ongoing management is necessary. It’s still fairly early on in the course, so we don’t know how they’re going to years out. But we are noticing that people are reaching a point where they may be stuck with these conditions lifelong,” says Covarrubias-Eckardt.
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One recent study in Nature found COVID may enter through your ear—and damage it, causing tinnitus or dizziness. “Viral infections are a common reason for hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction,” it concludes. “A growing number of sensory symptoms have been linked to” COVID, including “new-onset of hearing loss, tinnitus and/or dizziness.” Their findings “show that human and mouse inner ear cells have the molecular machinery to allow SARS-CoV-2 entry. We further show that SARS-CoV-2 can infect specific human inner ear cell types. Our findings suggest that inner ear infection may underlie COVID-19-associated problems with hearing and balance.”
Long Haulers have reported everything from fainting to delirium. “Some people recover very quickly while others seem to suffer from for effects for quite a long period of time,” says Dr. Gazelka. “I think you just need to trust your gut if you don’t feel right. You may, you may have some issues and ask your doctor for help and get referred,” says Dr. Lindsay Fossatti.
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“What about the post COVID conditions?” Dr. Fauci said this very week. said this very week. Besides “multi-system inflammatory syndrome, there’s also ongoing or residual symptoms and complications reported in children referred to as long COVID, which occurs in children, maybe to a lesser extent, about four to 6%, but nonetheless long COVID does occur in children.” He mentioned these symptoms:
- Respiratory symptoms
- Cardiac involvement
- Anosmia and/or ageusia (changes to smell and taste)
- Neurodevelopmental impairment
- Cognitive fogginess or fatigue
- Physical fatigue/poor endurance
- Headache
- Mental health/behavioral health sequelae
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Contact a medical professional if you fear you have Long COVID. And protect yourself: “It’s becoming clearer that we’ll all be living in a Covid-19 reality for some time to come,” wrote Professor Tim Spector in a Long COVID article on CNN. “We must continue to take steps that will keep cases low so that globally, we can limit the number of people who will have to live with Covid’s long-term, life-limiting symptoms. Get vaccinated. Follow up with a booster shot. Continue to practice social distancing in busy spaces. Wash your hands. And, while I know wearing a mask can be uncomfortable or annoying, it’s one of the most effective steps we can take as a society to prevent the spread of this virus. So, please keep wearing your mask.” And don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.