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In the West of Moscow
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The danger of coronavirus infection no longer has to be reminded – every day it sends many people to hospital beds. The insidiousness of this disease also lies in the fact that it can be asymptomatic. The correspondent of the newspaper “In the West of Moscow” asked Ilya Akinfiev, candidate of medical sciences and infectious diseases specialist, to talk about the asymptomatic course and how to protect himself and others.
Is it true that the asymptomatic course of coronavirus infection is not so asymptomatic? What manifestations should alert?
– There are two options. There may be asymptomatic virus excretion – this is when a person has no symptoms, feels great, but in his body there is a virus that is actively spreading to the environment.
The second option is the so-called “easy flow”. A person may have mild rhinitis, body aches, a subjective feeling that he is starting to get sick, but his temperature and frequency of breaths does not increase. This is the most common option. Usually coronavirus is so manifested in children under 14 years of age. But after 14 years, everyone gets sick about the same.
However, the danger lies in the fact that a person releases a virus that is dangerous to others. And any mild course can become complicated at almost any moment, if the disease is carried on the legs.
In other words, should we call a doctor in case of even a slight malaise?
– Yes, absolutely right! As soon as the slightest symptoms appear – immediately call the clinic, and call the doctor at home. They usually take a coronavirus test right away.
Such a thorough diagnosis is also caused by the subjectivity of the sensations experienced by patients with viral pneumonia. Unlike bacterial, viral pneumonia at the very beginning of the disease is not felt by a person. There may be a slight cough without sputum, fatigue, sweat. But no classic symptoms – no chest pain, or shortness of breath. But very quickly 25-30% of the lungs can be affected – and this is already very serious.
To quickly detect such cases, all doctors who come to the house now have pulse oximeters with them – special devices that can non-invasively, using a beam of light, measure blood oxygen saturation. With viral pneumonia, a person may not feel a lack of oxygen in the blood for quite some time, and when it starts, it will be too late.
Therefore, do not be afraid to call a doctor for any symptoms – in a situation like this, it is better to play it safe.
How to distinguish coronavirus from other diseases? Symptoms, after all, may be similar: runny nose, sneezing, coughing.
– No way. Both acute respiratory viral infections, allergies and coronavirus have very similar symptoms, and what exactly you are ill with will show only analysis or other types of diagnostics. So there is only one advice – call a doctor at the first sign of malaise.
What about shortness of breath? This is a symptom of coronavirus, but now we all move very little, and shortness of breath can appear even when climbing a hill at a fast pace. Should I worry when I notice such a symptom?
– If shortness of breath during physical activity is not newly acquired – most likely, you do not need to worry. If a person knows that climbing stairs to several floors is difficult for him – it is not surprising that the hillock began to be difficult. But if there is shortness of breath at rest or with little physical activity – it’s time to sound the alarm and call a doctor.
It turns out that the best strategy now is reinsurance?
– Yes! Moreover, this is beneficial both for the patient, who immediately receives comprehensive information about his condition, and the health care system, since it is much easier to catch a disease at the very beginning and prevent its development than putting a person with a disease that has already gained strength in the hospital.
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