Young and old people experience different symptoms in the first days after being infected with COVID-19. This conclusion was made by scientists from King's College London, their study was published in The Lancet.
Doctors tracked the symptoms that appear in those infected in the first three days after a positive test. The study participants recorded data about them using a special application from April to October 2020.
It turned out that in different age groups their symptoms predominate. For the 16-39-year-old group, the most common signs of COVID-19 were loss of smell, chest or abdominal pain and shortness of breath.
Persistent coughing became a more common symptom for those infected aged 40–59 years, but chest pain and loss of smell were also encountered.
In people over 60 and especially 80 years old, loss of smell is a less common symptom. More often, older patients are worried about muscle and chest pain, shortness of breath and diarrhea.
Scientists have also found differences in symptoms between men and women. Both sexes complain of loss of smell and pain in the chest or abdomen. However, men are more likely to experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and chills.
The researchers noted that the data was collected when the UK and original Wuhan strains of the coronavirus were prevalent in the country. Other mutations, such as delta, were not yet widespread.
When the new strains began to prevail over the original variant, the set of symptoms changed, researchers from King's College London said in June. If earlier the main signs of the disease were considered fever, persistent cough, loss of taste and smell, then with the advent of new options, the most common symptoms were headache, runny nose and sore throat.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova also said that a runny nose, sore throat and headache are symptoms of infection with the Indian strain. “The very simple symptoms of the disease are a runny nose, a sore throat, like with pharyngitis, and a headache. And that's all. According to our usual situation, people use ordinary antiviral agents, and sometimes antibiotics, they take them, because the symptoms are similar to those of a cold, ”she said.
