To uncover symptoms related to COVID-19, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has funded a study to help the country’s health agency identify the most common symptoms that should be watched out for in monitoring COVID-19 patients.
This study gave crucial inputs to the Department of Health (DOH) in developing guidelines for case isolation, contact tracing, and disease control and prevention of the highly infectious disease that collapsed the healthcare systems of almost all countries.
According to the Science department, the most common reported symptoms of COVID-19 are the following:
- Cough
- Fever
- Headache
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Loss of appetite
- Runny nose
- Diarrhea
- Muscle aches
- Loss of smell and taste
- Fatigue
These symptoms are not listed in any particular order as to occurrence.
Meanwhile, CT scans of the chests of COVID-19 patients often show bilateral ground-glass opacities.
When they worsen, COVID-19 cases may lead to pneumonia, followed by acute respiratory distress syndrome.
This DOST-funded study is named “Clinical Characteristics and Transmission Patterns of COVID-19 in Confirmed Cases and their Contacts in the Philippines.” Totaling P9.7 million, the study was implemented by Dr. Mayan Lumandas from the DOH’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, while Ospital ng Muntinlupa in Alabang, Muntinlupa City was a partner in this study.
More of DOST’s projects for the country’s R&D [research and development] sector and the fight against COVID-19, including this study, will be presented at the “Big 21 in 2021” launch live on Sept. 7, 10:00 a.m., to be broadcast live on PTV and livestreamed on the DOST Philippines and PTV Facebook pages. (DOST) – jlo
