What does COVID-19 look like now? What are the symptoms and how many days do they appear when we infect others? The doctor explains

The Ministry of Health announced record-breaking figures for coronavirus infections and deaths since the beginning of the fourth wave. There are several thousand infections daily. They get sick – although much more mildly – also those who are vaccinated. So it’s worth remembering the most important issues related to the coronavirus in the Delta variant. When do symptoms appear, when do we start to become infected, and how to distinguish COVID-19 infection from the flu? Dr. Bartosz Fiałek explains.

1. On November 17, over 24 thousand. COVID-19 cases. That’s the most since the beginning of April
2. The number of active coronavirus cases is currently around 324.
3. Every place where people-to-people contacts take place without applying sanitary and epidemiological rules is at risk of COVID-19 infection – warns doctor Bartosz Fiałek
4. Most symptoms are not specific, so after a history and physical examination, it is impossible to clearly distinguish influenza or influenza infection from COVID-19 – reminds the doctor
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Coronavirus – where is it easiest to get infected?

Adrian Dąbek, Medonet: Where is the easiest way to catch the coronavirus?

Bow. Bartosz Fiałek: In a closed, poorly ventilated room in which we are located. This is where the new coronavirus feels best, regardless of the variant. The Delta variant of the SARS-2 coronavirus, due to its mutation profile, which makes it a much better spread of the virus, causes even more effective COVID-19 outbreaks in closed, poorly ventilated rooms with clusters of people.

Is the crowd in the open still a threat?

It has always been, but to a much lesser extent. Any place where people-to-people contacts take place without applying sanitary and epidemiological rules is at risk of becoming infected. This risk looks different in a closed room, where we sit close to each other without masks, and in an open space, when we are wearing a mask and we are two meters apart. In the second case, this risk is marginal. However, any contact carries the risk of infection, as the new coronavirus is transmitted by air. To break the chain of SARS-CoV-2 spread, you really would have to lock yourself in your home and not come into contact with anyone face to face, which is obviously impossible.

1. The latest data on the COVID-19 epidemic. A record number of infections and deaths

Coronavirus Delta variant. When do symptoms appear?

After how many days do symptoms of COVID-19 appear?

As a standard – with the earlier variants of the new coronavirus – about 5 – 7 days elapsed from the infection to the onset of symptoms. The Delta variant of the SARS-2 coronavirus spreads much better, people infected with it have over 1200 times higher viral load compared to previous lines of development, so symptoms appear earlier in this case. It is said to be 4-5 days after infection. However, we are still not dealing with a situation where symptoms would appear immediately after infection. This window between high infectivity and no symptoms is present and lasts – in the case of the Delta variant of the new coronavirus – about two days.

1. How many vaccinated people got sick and died from COVID-19? The Ministry of Health released the data

And when do we start to infect?

It appears that – in the case of the SARS-2 coronavirus Delta variant – from day two after infection. From the moment of infection, the virus replicates, i.e. multiplies, infects new cells. Approximately 48 hours after the infection, the load of the virus is so large that exposure to it can cause disease in another person from the environment. We can become infected after about two days, and the symptoms are noted after about four to five days, so we have two days between the possibility of infecting others and not being aware that we are sick.

It should also be remembered that the test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, performed two days after the infection, may also give a negative result, it may be positive after about five to seven days. So the problem is that we have patients who are already infected, and we do not have methods by which we could effectively and reliably confirm that they are actually infected with the new coronavirus. And here one should rely on human responsibility and self-isolation in the event of contact with COVID-19 confirmed by the case from the environment.

If you want to test for COVID-19, order one of the available on Medonet Market. You can find COVID-19 shipping tests here.

Coronavirus and the flu. How are they different?

Can the symptoms tell the difference between the coronavirus and the flu?

It’s very hard to tell the difference because we know that the symptoms of respiratory infections like the flu and COVID-19 are very similar. We only know that the symptom of loss of smell and taste is more characteristic of COVID-19 than of influenza. This is a fundamental difference. But in the case of an advanced cold in the course of the flu, we can also experience changes in the sense of smell and taste. Therefore, it cannot be clearly stated that the loss of smell and taste is only indicative of COVID-19, although the probability is high.

The other symptoms are very similar. Fever / increased body temperature, muscle aches, joint pain, weakness, malaise, cough – these are all symptoms that can appear in both infections. Dyspnoea, i.e. breathing problems, occurs more often with COVID-19, because here lung involvement is much more common. We also have influenza pneumonia, but it is treated as a complication. Influenza is rather associated with the upper respiratory tract, in the case of COVID-19 it is also the lower respiratory tract, with interstitial changes in the pulmonary parenchyma.

1. Influenza epidemic in Poland. Record numbers of infections

When COVID-19 is mild, the symptoms are very similar to those seen in other catarrhal infections, with the possible exception of a loss of smell and taste. In severe course of the disease, shortness of breath occurs, which is less common in the course of influenza.

COVID-19 is also more of a multi-system disease than the flu. We may have gastrointestinal symptoms that can also occur with flu, but are less frequent. There are cases of COVID-19 where only gastrointestinal symptoms occur. I remember patients presenting with nausea, vomiting, bowel disturbance, and it seemed to be a virus with an affinity for the gut, and the culprit was the new coronavirus. Often there are neurological symptoms and thromboembolic episodes.

Most symptoms are not specific, so after a history and physical examination, it is not possible to clearly distinguish influenza or para-influenza infection from COVID-19.

Delta variant and loss of smell and taste

Are intestinal discomfort less frequent now than in the previous variants?

I wouldn’t say less often. Some even report that they appear more frequently with COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant of the new coronavirus. But it must be said that the current variant does not stand out from the previous ones. The prevalence of certain symptoms varies with the new coronavirus lines of development, but it should be remembered that COVID-19 causes SARS-CoV-2, which has variants and sub-variants, but it cannot be said that certain groups of symptoms are typical only for the variant Alpha or Delta.

1. Will a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine be needed?

Based on the symptoms, it is impossible to predict which variant of the SARS-2 coronavirus we are dealing with, although currently the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Poland are caused by the Delta variant of the new coronavirus.

I’ll come back to the loss of smell and taste. Because the presence of this symptom may indicate a coronavirus infection, but on the other hand, the lack of this symptom should not be a reason to think that we are definitely not dealing with COVID-19.

This is not a symptom that will always occur. At the beginning of this year, statistics were published that estimated the incidence of olfactory and taste disorders at approx. 72%. COVID-19 cases. Therefore, it is not certain that if there is an olfactory and taste disturbance, we are facing COVID-19, but it is highly probable. On the other hand, if we do not lose our sense of smell and taste, we cannot say we do not have COVID-19. Quite simply – the smell and taste disturbances are not so-called a pathognomonic symptom for COVID-19, i.e. typical for only one disease entity, secondly, it is not a symptom that is a sine qua non condition for the occurrence of COVID-19, i.e. a symptom without which the disease does not developa. It is not the case that the olfactory and taste disturbance is a symptom that confirms or excludes COVID-19. This is one of the symptoms that help us make a correct diagnosis.

Also read:

1. We are following Sweden’s path without restrictions and lockdown. Virologist: The Swedes admitted that this strategy was a mistake
2. Vaccinated or healed who has better resistance to COVID-19?
3. The COVID-19 vaccine in a patch – will give protection for years. When can it appear?
4. Great health knowledge quiz. How many points will you get? [QUIZ]

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