How do I know if I have the corona virus?

Many people are currently afraid of contracting the corona virus. But it is not so easy for laypeople to tell whether they have been infected with the dangerous pathogen or with the flu – because the symptoms of both diseases are very similar. There are hardly any distinctions, especially in the case of mild illnesses.

What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists the symptoms which the coronavirus can trigger – and compares their frequency with the symptoms of a flu or cold:

Symptoms

Corona virus

cold

flu

fever

often

Rare

often

Body aches

sometimes

often

often

Sore throat

sometimes

often

sometimes

to cough

often (dry)

little

often (dry)

a headache

sometimes

Rare

often

fatigue

sometimes

sometimes

often

Sneeze

No

often

No

sniff

Rare

often

sometimes

Incidentally, the fever in the corona virus usually rises more slowly than in the flu, but remains constant for longer. In the case of the flu, the symptoms of the disease generally begin very suddenly and are very pronounced directly.

Beware of shortness of breath!

If Covid-19, the official name of the disease that triggers the coronavirus, is difficult, pneumonia can develop. And is this very pronounced this may lead to the so-called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The syndrome causes water retention in the lungs, which means that less oxygen gets into the blood. As a result, vital organs are no longer optimally supplied with oxygen – the affected patients must be artificially ventilated in the intensive care unit. Acute shortness of breath is therefore always a case for the emergency doctor!

Does conjunctivitis indicate the coronavirus?

In addition to these commonly mentioned symptoms, some patients also experience diarrhea and loss of smell. According to American media, experts are also currently reporting that red, itchy and watery eyes could also be an early symptom. Several reports describe that the coronavirus can cause mild conjunctivitis because the viruses can also get into the eye through the air.

You have to worry about a possible infection with the new pathogen, if, in addition to the symptoms of the eyes, there are also symptoms that could typically speak for the coronavirus. For example, dry cough and fever.

Myocarditis as a symptom

According to the Ă„rzteblatt, myocarditis can also be an indication of an infection with the coronavirus. Various reports show that patients have also suffered severe heart muscle damage during Covid 19 disease. And the specialist journal Jama Cardiology reports of a 53-year-old woman from northern Italy who was admitted to the cardiological clinic of the University of Brescia with a heart failure. The results of their investigations indicate an inflammation of the heart muscle – and their doctors suspect that it could have been caused by the coronavirus.