COVID-19 disease behaves in six different ways, writes Dr. Tapashi Gupta

August 4: Viruses and the diseases they cause often have different names. Experts with the WHO explained, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. Likewise, according to WHO, COVID-19 is the name of the illness caused by the Corona virus. A new study of COVID-19 based on data from a symptom tracker app, determined that there are six different ‘types’ of the disease involving different clusters of symptoms.

Researchers from King’s College, London studied data from approximately 1,600 UK and US patients. According to Dr. Bob Lahita the recovered Covid-19 patients showed the symptoms in different ways. The six clusters of symptoms outlined in the study are:

1. Flu like with no fever: Headache, loss of smell, muscle pains, cough, sore throat, chest pain but no fever.
2. Flu like with fever: Headache, loss of smell, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, fever and loss of appetite.
3. Gastrointestinal: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sore throat, chest pain but no cough.
4. Severe level one, fatigue: Headache, loss of smell, cough, fever,, hoarseness, chest pain, fatigue.
5. Severe level two, Confusion: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, muscle pain and confusion.
6. Severe level three, abdominal and respiratory: Headache, loss of smell, loss of appetite, cough, fever, hoarseness, sore throat, chest pain, fatigue, confusion, muscle pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, abdominal pain.

Patients at the first level “ Flu like with no fever” have a 1.5% chance of need breathing support such as oxygen or a ventilator. Patients at the second type” Flu like with fever” about 4.4% patients need breathing support. At the third type “ Gastrointestinal” only 3.3% patients need breathing support. In fourth type “ Severe level one” about 8.6% patients need breathing support. Type five “Severe level two” includes the symptoms of type four along with loss of appetite, sore throat, muscle pain, and is mainly distinguished by Confusion. Patients in this becomes totally confused, become unaware of their own life, relatives etc. According to Dr. Lahita this type is very scary and almost 10% of patients at this level need breathing support. The most severe type of COVID-19 is referred to as “Severe level three” in which patients suffers with abdominal pain, shortness of breath and diarrhea. Nearly 20% these patients need breathing support.

Dr. Tapashi Gupta, Associate Professor (Retd), Department of Zoology, Lumding College, Lumding, Assam.