Signs that you may have had COVID-19
The COVID-19 virus may have been around longer than we originally thought. So people may have had the virus and recovered from it without knowing. Some telltale signs could indicate that you're one of those people.
A 'bad cold'
It is not uncommon to get a cold during the winter. But if you had one in late 2019 or early 2020, there's a chance your cold might have been COVID-19. One way to know the difference is that COVID can stick around 2 weeks or longer, while a cold typically lasts only a few days. And unlike a cold, COVID could have caused a fever and made it hard for you to breathe.
Shortness of breath
This is not typically a symptom of a cold or the flu but feeling like you can't breathe is common with COVID-19. You may have thought you had bronchitis, which COVID-19 can cause. Or it may have felt like anxiety or a panic attack. But with COVID, shortness of breath lasts longer than a panic attack. It also comes with flu-like symptoms.
Persistent cough
If you had a dry cough that took a long time to go away, it could have been a symptom of COVID-19. It would have been different from a cough caused by a cold. It would have started mildly, but then got worse during the next 5 to 7 days.
Red, watery eyes
Throughout the pandemic, we have been told to wash our hands often and avoid touching our face. One reason for this is that COVID-19 can affect your eyes. If you had conjunctivitis (pinkeye), watering eyes, or blurred vision, it might have been caused by the virus.
Heart palpitations or chest pain
COVID-19 can affect your heart too. It can cause heart palpitations, making your heartbeat fast or flutter, or pound. You may have had tightness in your chest. All of these things can happen even after the virus clears your body. Episodes like this can be noticeable for up to 2 weeks in mild cases or for 6 weeks in more serious ones.
Extreme fatigue
Feeling really tired is a common symptom of COVID-19. So, if you had that kind of extreme fatigue that didn't get better with plenty of sleep, it could have been a sign of the virus. The feeling can come back again days and sometimes weeks later.
Loss of smell or taste
If foods and drinks seemed to taste different than usual (or had no taste), or you weren't able to pick up on odors for a couple of weeks, you could've been infected with the virus. Nearly 80% of people who test positive have this issue, and it's usually a sign of a mild case.
Yes, it is true that many of the mutations that have been identified in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, do not appear to significantly affect the symptoms of the disease or its severity. However, mutations may make the virus more contagious. So, it is important to continue monitoring the situation closely and adapting our strategies accordingly.