are these symptoms true or false?

Every week, new symptoms regarding the coronavirus are published. It is therefore essential to sort out the real information and that to put aside.

Hair loss, hiccups … Many symptoms of the coronavirus appear month after month. Latest: "purple toes". A phenomenon reported by an American study carried out by the International League of Dermatological Societies and the American Academy of Dermatology. True or false ? Everyone can get lost, which is understandable. So what are the true and more questionable medical data? A brief overview.

Symptoms that are certain

First, remember that some may be "healthy carriers", asymptomatic, but they can transmit the virus. This further complicates the control of the pandemic. For the others, so-called "banal" symptoms of influenza-like illnesses are present, as Gérald Kierzek *, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo confirms:

  • Non-elevated fever
  • Itchy throat
  • Aches
  • Asthenia (fatigue)
  • Anosmia (loss or sharp decrease in smell)
  • Ageusia (partial or complete loss of taste)
  • Pulmonary embolism phlebitis
  • Breathing difficulties

"Many Covid pneumonias are underdiagnosed. Yesterday, during a CT scan on a person with non-serious symptoms, I discovered pneumonia. We therefore need to do more scans. Likewise, on myocarditis we are working on to realize that there is heart inflammation. Some studies show that 70% of people contract it ", explains the doctor.

See also: Can the coronavirus be transmitted in the air?

Video by Loïcia Fouillen

Those more questionable

Other symptoms are still, at the present time, in the realm of mystery such as:

  • Deafness
  • Long Covid

“Yes, there are symptoms that stick around for a long time, but is it due to the virus or the immune system? Much like Lyme disease, it's very controversial. We don't have enough hindsight. ", says Gérald Kierzek.

"For these red plaques, inflammations, we do not yet really know what the mechanism is involved, if it is the virus which is a trigger in someone who is fragile, if it is a direct attack from the virus or an immune reaction … It seems to be linked to the coronavirus, but there is still debate ", he adds.

  • Hair loss or hiccups,

The medical expert is clear: "Not all of the new symptoms can be traced back to the coronavirus." For him, it must be based on three key factors:
-A critical mass of individuals who describe the same symptom.
-A lack of other explanation.
-A physiopathological logic.
"What is wrong is to say that a severe form of the disease will start with diarrhea, we do not know at all", concludes Gérald Kierzek.

Dr Gérald Kierzek is the medical director of the Doctissimo site.
You can follow the news of the coronavirus hour after hour on Doctissimo