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"No perfect set of symptoms" local infectious disease doctor describes typical COVID-19 diagnostics

Novel coronavirus graphic
PBS

The medical community is concluding when it comes to COVID-19, there is no perfect set of symptoms or presentation of the disease. However, diagnosing it early can be the difference between life and death and limiting its spread.

What’s most telling about COVID-19 symptoms is that they continue to progress.

“So, a typical cold you’ll feel kind of bad on day one or day two and then you’ll sort of start getting better or it just won’t continue to worsen. One of the things that seems to stand out with coronavirus is you’ll get a little dry cough on day one or some body aches and then on day two you’ll start coughing a little bit more. And then you might get a little bit of a chest pain when you take a dep breath on day two or three and then all of a sudden on day four or day five you start developing a fever. That’s a little bit unusual when compared to most other infections which seem to hit you much heavier at the very beginning and then taper off.”

Dr. Andrew Jameson is Regional Medical Director-Infectious Control for Mercy Health Physician Partners.

“So, I think for your listeners the thing that that they should take to heart is that if you have a fever, a cough or shortness of breath, that seems to slowly creep up and slowly worsen, that is something that we pay attention to. The typical flu will hit you terribly on day one and ill slowly get better or a cold will hit you a little bit heavier on day one and get better. So, this one is something that continues to progress.”

If you’re suspicious you have symptoms contact your doctor.

I’m Patrick Center

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.