Symptoms of virus can show up within days
Most appear together at start or soon after 1st sign of infection
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to shut down daily life across the globe, thousands of our readers across the nation have asked us questions about COVID-19.
And we’re answering them.
How soon after exposure can you test positive?
– Pam from Easton, Maryland
There’s no specific data on this question yet, according to Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group.
However, we do know that someone infected with the virus may begin showing symptoms anywhere between one and 14 days after catching the virus, most commonly around five days, according to the World Health Organization.
“The peak viral shedding occurs during the first five days after the onset of symptoms. My guess is that within a few days of being exposed, these patients are beginning to shed virus,” Poland said.
Do the symptoms for COVID-19 come together or can you have separate symptoms showing up at different times?
– Carlos from Los Angeles
The most common symptoms are fever, tiredness and dry cough, according to WHO. Shortness of breath is also among the most common symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In most cases where symptoms present, those symptoms come together, said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
“Usually it presents with fever and cough, or fever, cough, and shortness of breath,” he said. “It might present with one of those symptoms first, but then it rapidly progresses to the others.”
Some patients also have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. Some people do not have symptoms at all.
A New York neurosurgeon is warning people against looking out for fever as the first tell-tale symptom of the virus. His symptoms began with a little bit of congestion and only later progressed to a fever, body aches and chills.
If a person is sick with the coronavirus and gets tested for the flu, would the flu test be positive?
– Antonio from Patchogue, New York
No, the presence of the coronavirus would not turn a flu test positive. However, it’s possible to have both the coronavirus and the flu at the same time. In that case, the flu test would be positive.
The opposite is also true: Presence of the flu would not result in a positive coronavirus test. It’s important to note that, even if someone tests negative for the coronavirus, they still may be infected with the coronavirus.
I was told I should be tested if I could not easily inhale a large breath and hold it for at least 10 seconds. Is this good advice?
–Ted from Scottsdale, Arizona
No. While shortness of breath is among the most common symptoms of the virus, according to the CDC, that diagnosis does not necessarily involve holding a large breath for 10 seconds. Medically known as dyspnea, shortness of breath is often described as “an intense tightening in the chest, air hunger, difficulty breathing, breathlessness or a feeling of suffocation,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
If you think you may be sick, call your doctor and follow CDC guidance.
Can masks be reused by an infected person or used only once?
– Debra from Dayton, Ohio
The longer a mask is used and the more damp it becomes, the less effective it is, said Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group. “But it is definitely better than the alternative of no mask!”