ICMR expands coronavirus symptoms list; includes loss of taste and smell, muscle pain, diarrhoea
Centre issues detailed clinical protocol on disease management, allows use of anti-viral drug Remdesivir in moderately cases with riders
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 13
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 13
With COVID-19 cases crossing the 3 lakh mark
on Monday, India expanded the list of symptoms which people should
watch out for in order to report the infection.
Based on evidence from other countries, the
Ministry of Health today included muscle pain, mucous formation in
throat, clogged nasal cavity, sore throat, diarrhoea and loss of taste
and smell as new COVID symptoms apart from the previous three signs of
fever, short breath and cough.
Symptom check
Common symptoms- Fever
- Breathlessness
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Mucous formatiion
-
Clogged nasal cavity
- Sore throat
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of taste (anosmia).
- Loss of smell (ageusia)
The government’s clinical protocol on
COVID19 released today says loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste
(ageusia) preceding the onset of respiratory symptoms could be one of
the signs of the disease.
People over 60 and those with
non-communicable diseases----diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease,
chronic lung disease, cerebro-vascular disease, chronic kidney disease,
immune-suppression and cancer---are among the high risk category, said
the Ministry.
Current disease data from the Ministry shows
non-specific and varied symptoms in people. A study on 15,366 COVID
patients recently showed the presence of fever in 27%, cough (21%), sore
throat (10%), breathlessness (8%), Weakness (7%), running nose (3%) and
other symptoms 24%.
The Ministry said current available evidence
for COVID-19 suggests that the causative virus (SARS-CoV-2) has a
zoonotic source closely related to bat-origin SARS-like coronavirus and
the persons infected by the novel coronavirus are the main source of
infection through close contact mainly respiratory droplets released
when the infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
These droplets may land on surfaces, where
the virus remains viable and infection occur if a person touches an
infected surface and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
“The median incubation period is 5.1 days
(range 2–14 days). As per the current evidence, the period of
infectivity starts 2 days prior to onset of symptoms and lasts up to 8
days,” protocols say adding that the role of asymptomatic people in
transmitting the virus remains under probe.
The Ministry also admits that while most
patients with COVID-19 predominantly have a respiratory tract infection
associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, some can progress to a
Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
(ARDS), sepsis and septic shock, multi-organ failure, including acute
kidney injury and cardiac injury.
The government has defined a suspected case
as a patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one
sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath),
and a history of travel to or residence in a location reporting
community transmission of COVID-19 disease during the 14 days prior to
symptom onset; or a patient with any acute respiratory illness and
having been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case in the
last 14 days prior to symptom onset; or a patient with severe acute
respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory
disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath and requiring
hospitalisation).
The government said on Friday that
anti-viral drug Remdisivir (under trial in other countries) can be used
in emergencies in patients with moderate disease (those on oxygen) but
not in those with renal complication, pregnant and lactating women and
children under 12.
Convalescent plasma has been allowed in
patients with moderate disease who are not improving (oxygen requirement
is progressively increasing) despite use of steroids.
Tocilizumab medicine can be considered in
patients with moderate disease with progressively increasing oxygen
requirements and in mechanically ventilated patients not improving
despite use of steroids, the protocols say adding that those on
Tocilizumab should be reviewed for secondary infections. This medicine
should not be given to people with TB.
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