AARP: Unusual Symptoms of COVID-19 You Need to Know About

[NurseJackie]

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/unusual-coronavirus-symptoms.html

Unusual Symptoms of COVID-19 You Need to Know About
From nose to toes, doctors continue to discover uncommon signs of coronavirus infection

by Rachel Nania, AARP, Updated November 23, 2020 | Comments: 237

Unusual Symptoms of COVID-19 You Need to Know About
From nose to toes, doctors continue to discover uncommon signs of coronavirus infection

by Rachel Nania, AARP, Updated November 23, 2020 | Comments: 237
woman bends over to smell a big white flower in a garden

'COVID toes'
Loss of taste or smell
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and severe appetite loss
Headaches, dizziness and confusion
Hallucinations
Blood clots
Hearing loss
High blood sugar

Here are some uncommon signs of COVID-19 that fall outside the hallmark symptoms.

‘COVID toes’

If you had asked dermatologist Esther Freeman, M.D., last year what type of skin ailment a future viral pandemic might bring about, she never would have predicted red- and purple-colored toes that swell, burn and itch. But that’s exactly what she and other experts are seeing in patients with coronavirus infections, leading this unusual symptom to be dubbed “COVID toes.”

(more details at link above)

Loss of taste or smell

On the CDC’s recently expanded list of common COVID-19 symptoms, one stands out. In addition to fever, chills and a sore throat, the public health agency recognizes new loss of taste or smell as evidence of a coronavirus infection.

(more details at link above)

Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and severe appetite loss

COVID-19 is producing symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and appetite loss in a number of patients young and old. A recent study out of Stanford University School of Medicine found that nearly one-third of 116 patients infected with the coronavirus reported mild gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Earlier reports showed that among roughly 200 patients in China, more than half experienced diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also acknowledged GI issues on its list of COVID-19 warning signs.

(more details at link above)

Headaches, dizziness and confusion

Beyond loss of taste and smell, which usually return after the virus runs its course, doctors are noting a growing list of neurological effects in COVID-19 patients. Other indicators of the illness include dizziness, headache and confusion.

(more details at link above)

Hallucinations

Separate from the neurologic complications mentioned above, some COVID-19 patients with no history of mental health issues have experienced mild to severe hallucinations.

(more details at link above)

Blood clots

Health care professionals are taking note of a troubling trend among coronavirus patients: blood clots. Some studies have found that as many as 30 percent of people with severe cases of COVID-19 experience clotting complications. Clot specialist Alex Spyropoulos, M.D., estimates that the number is even higher. The internist and professor of medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell says that as many as 40 percent of patients who are hospitalized because of a coronavirus infection die from blood clots, including micro clots, and the destruction they can cause (heart attack, stroke, lung damage and the like).

(more details at link above)

Hearing loss

Researchers are looking into a possible connection between COVID-19 and hearing loss. Several reports document patients who have experienced hearing problems that coincide with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Often these issues, which include tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, persist even after other symptoms of the illness subside.

(more details at link above)

High Blood Sugar

Some older adults are showing up to emergency rooms and testing positive for COVID-19 with few complaints other than high blood sugar (or hyperglycemia), a recent study in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine found.

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[CatMor]

1. Thanks for this important info ...

there are so many different symptoms it must be difficult at first to realize you have Covid-19 with so many possible symptoms.

[SheltieLover]

2. K&R!

Ty, NJ!