In some cases, people have intestinal conditions, leg pain, heart problems, among other ailments.
The Covid-19 forced Melanie Poveda and her family to distance themselves during the end of the year festivities. In addition to the classic symptoms of this disease, such as cough and sore throat, she experienced hair loss and severe plugging of the left ear During two days. These are, according to consulted specialists, some of the unusual symptoms that some people can develop when infected with Covid-19 and that have been detected with the omicron variant.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the internist and intensivist doctor of the Interhospital hospital complex in Guayaquil, Jerónimo Cassanello, has treated more than 600 patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19. He says that on several occasions he has tried cases with heart attacks or heart malfunction. The last of these was in December, when he had a case of myocardial infarction in a Covid-positive patient.
Cassanello specifies that “when you go to see a patient, regardless of the symptoms, you have to consider the chance you have covid” or who has, at the same time, infection by the virus and another disease, without there being a cause and effect relationship.
Ensures that coronavirus infection causes systemic involvement; that is, it attacks the entire organism. “Although its main affectation is in the respiratory tract with the formation of thrombi, can cause other conditions such as diarrhea (digestive system), hives (on the skin), headache (neurological symptom); it can affect the whole body actually.”
Internist Eric Álvarez recalls the particular case of a family of four, who for about four days presented severe pain in the right leg. On the fourth day, one of them began to cough. After a PCR test, all tested positive. Today, after two weeks, the family returned to their normal activities.
The COVID-19 outbreak triggers care in Ecuadorian hospitals in the first two weeks of 2022
Álvarez explains that although there are unusual cases, “Atypical symptoms may be signs of the disease” and that these are presented according to the basic health status of the patients or their emotional situation prior to infection.
When a patient with pre-existing diseases (diabetes, heart disease, skin diseases or pneumonia, for example) and you do not have them under control, could develop atypical symptoms. But if the diseases are controlled, the patient is more likely to experience only the classic symptoms of Covid-19.
Thus, with each patient who arrives and presents a different picture from the previous one, Dr. Álvarez is impressed by how particular each case is. “My reaction is almost always surprise at how multifaceted this disease is. Each person has their own Covid. It cannot be generalized, it is a very personalized disease and therefore the treatment should be like this. Each patient is a world”, affirms the doctor.
In children
Regarding the symptoms in children, the infectologist Carola Cedillo emphasizes that although they initially present fever, the evolution of the disease can be crossed with intestinal pictures, in addition to alterations in the skin.
It also underlines that “in the childhood stage, especially in who have not been vaccinated, more severe respiratory conditions begin to occur; not just colds, but bronchiolitis and CRUP (a respiratory tract infection that causes inflammation of the larynx and trachea), which cause the child to have a metallic cough and difficulty breathing.
Measures issued by the national COE for the week of January 17 to 23 due to the coronavirus
Older adults
With 88% of the population over 60 years of age vaccinated with the full schedule, this age group has the highest percentage of immunizations in Ecuador. However, they are not exempt from the symptoms of Covid-19.
For the research epidemiologist of the UTE, Daniel Simancas, “there are older adults who debut with fainting spells and loss of consciousness in addition to at least one of the classic symptoms of Covid ”.
Cassanello, for his part, specifies that older adults “generally have other diseases and a health condition typical of aging.”
Álvarez agrees with this, pointing out, for example, that elderly people with Rheumatic diseases tend to manifest atypical symptoms. “They could present more pain in the lower and upper limbs, which are not typical or described as Covid.”
Do not self-medicate
Daniel Simancas is clear in pointing out that You don’t have to self-medicate although he warns that paracetamol is a good alternative.
“You could take paracetamol every 6 hours and would control general malaise, fever and respiratory symptoms, but could help (to present) gastrointestinal symptoms”.
On the other hand, if the patient has unusual conditions, “you have to go to the doctor and he will know whether or not you need a specialist”. (I)
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