Posted on: April 8, 2020 Posted by: Michele Lee Comments: 0

A dry cough, fever, and trouble breathing are the major symptoms of the COVID-19 virus.

But there are other telltale signs that we’ve talked about here, like suddenly losing your sense of taste or smell, or developing red eyes.

Either way, you need to know that being symptom-free does not necessarily mean that the virus has left your body, or that you’re not capable of transmitting it to others, through the usual means.

A cough, a kiss, a handshake… all could be deadly.

So, if you or someone you know has had a mild case of COVID-19 (see my post on what constitutes a mild case of the virus, as opposed to a moderate or severe case), read on to learn what the current research says about how long you need to isolate, even after you’re feeling better.

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How do you know you’re not passing the virus to others?

We’re learning something new about this virus every day.

Just a few days back, as part of a Q & A article in Connecticut Magazine, Dr. Dennis Brown, head of the physician’s assistant program at Quinnipiac University and specialist in emergency management and community health, listed three criteria you should meet before it’s safe to be among people again after a mild case of COVID-19:

  • You have to be fever-free without the help of medication for 72 hours.
  • Fever, cough, and shortness of breath should be gone.
  • At least seven days must have passed since your symptoms began.

The second one is problematic. Just how long do you need to be absolutely symptom-free before it’s safe to be around people?

On March 27, results of a new study may have an answer to that question, at least for mild cases of COVID-19…

Patients remained infectious 8 days after symptoms were gone

The study involved sixteen patients with COVID-19 who were treated and released from the Treatment Center of PLA General Hospital in Beijing between January 28 and Feb. 9, 2020.

While the patients were still in the hospital but were free of symptoms, researchers collected and examined throat swabs to determine whether the COVID-19 virus was still present.

They found that half of the patients still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared.

“The most significant finding from our study is that half of the patients kept shedding the virus even after resolution of their symptoms,” said co-lead author Dr. Lokesh Sharma, instructor of medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine. “More severe infections may have even longer shedding times.”

Researchers noted that more testing was needed to determine if this eight-day window holds true with more severe cases of COVID-19 illness.

How to protect yourself

What follows may sound like old news by now. If it does, that’s good. It means you’re probably already taking these steps to protect yourself and others.

But it all bears repeating. If just one person reads this and starts these practices, it’s one step toward ending this thing.

  • Stay at home! We’ve moved from “social distancing” to “staying home” as the primary means of protection. When you do go outside for a walk, and I hope you do, taking that walk alone is the best idea. If you’re with someone else, maintain a distance of at least six feet.
  • Wash your hands! Often! Even if you live alone and aren’t letting others visit, wash your hands whenever you think of it. Use lotion, too.
  • Keep it clean. When you bring in grocery bags, wash and disinfect the surfaces where you’ve placed them. Wipe down all plastic containers before storing them.
  • We can’t hide from what’s going on in the world, but we can breathe. Take a walk. Do yoga. Read. Paint. Do the things that make you feel good. Stress is still a killer. Do everything you can to minimize yours.
  • Stay connected. Don’t isolate. Use online chats and phone calls to reach out to others. We’re all in the same boat.

Editor’s note: Some of my Facebook friends have asked for book suggestions while they’re in lockdown. If you haven’t heard about The Part-Time Health Nut: How to Attain your best health ever — without extreme diets, dangerous pills or brutal workouts, now’s a good time to see how you can get fit and healthy without going overboard. And unlike most book purchases, if you aren’t happy with what you read, you can receive a full refund! Click here for a preview!

Sources:

  1. Some COVID-19 patients still have coronavirus after symptoms disappear — EurekAlert
  2. Coronavirus Q&A: How long is someone contagious? — Connecticut Magazine
  3. Time Kinetics of Viral Clearance and Resolution of Symptoms in Novel
    Coronavirus Infection — American Thoracic Society

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