(Asian News Hub) – While we witness the nationwide second wave of coronavirus, it has become difficult to recognize the infected at an early stage due to mild or no symptoms.
Most people last year suffered through cold, cough and fever as mild while body pain, weakness and diarrhoea are more prevalent symptoms this year. Only 1 out of every 6 infected patient is facing breathing problems.
The reason behind this has been speculated as most of the people affected are youngsters who have a comparatively stronger immune system.
“While the virus is more transmissible this time with a lower mortality rate, there has been a paradigm shift in the mean age of the affected population – from 59-60 last time to less than 45 now.
Being more mobile, the younger population has been affected but due to their stronger immunity, the virus is often not being able to penetrate the lungs. So the non-lung portions are being affected, resulting in symptoms like tiredness, fatigue, lethargy and body ache.
Cold and fever have been absent in 10%-15% of cases, which makes it a challenge to diagnose. Non-specific symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting and even stomach ache have been widespread this time,” said Raja Dhar, director of pulmonology at CMRI Hospital as per Times of India.
The transmission rate this year is much higher than last year. Since the elderly people are vaccinated, the casualty rate is lower.
“Persistent diarrhoea and headache have been very common this time. Fewer have had fever or cough, which made it easy to identify Covid last time.
Vaccination has protected the elderly population and since we are still at the beginning of the surge, it’s too early to say it’s less fatal this time. But the symptoms have got milder,” said Joydeep Ghosh, Fortis Hospital internal medicine consultant.
