Patients are understandably (albeit overanxiously) concerned about every little cough these days. You want to be reassuring, but also keep an open mind about the prospects of them having COVID-19. New research from the University of Southern California’s Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience sheds light on which symptoms are most likely to occur first in COVID-19 patients, in order:
- Fever
- Cough
- Muscle pain
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Bear this in mind when counseling patients about the virus, and in asking them to think about their recent activities and who they’ve been in close contact with. This information may also be useful as flu season approaches and patients are left to wonder which virus they may be experiencing—and how to practice self-care and limit close contacts. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.