It’s normal to be paranoid these days, what with the end of the pandemic nowhere in sight. A simple cough or cold, which you used to brush off, now makes you think you have the dreaded coronavirus.
While lockdowns were meant to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, several countries proved that COVID-19 has already affected more than what can be contained. Worse, there are some individuals who don’t suffer complicated infections, called asymptomatic, making it hard to know if they are carriers of the virus.
As such, you may have been infected with the coronavirus without you ever knowing it. However, there are some telling signs that you need to know:
No Sense of Taste or Smell
One of the most telling signs that you may have had COVID-19 is losing your senses of smell and/or taste. Although not all coronavirus patients suffer from this symptom, a growing number of cases reported that they experienced this during and after contracting the virus.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery data showed that 27 percent of coronavirus patients who lost their smell and taste noticed some improvements within a week while the majority got better in around 10 days.
However, catching the flu, sinus infection, cold, and even allergies can make you temporarily lose your sense of smell and taste. The difference with COVID-19 patients is that they couldn’t smell or taste anything for months after their bout with the coronavirus.
Hair Loss
Although we still lack studies about the link between hair loss and COVID-19, many patients who have recovered reported that they experienced losing strands of locks. Actress Alyssa Milano revealed to her fans that clumps of her mane could easily be pulled out when she combed.
Again, hair loss can also be a sign of other problems: stress, lack of vitamins, weight loss, and pregnancy.
Unexplainable Fatigue
People who have contracted the coronavirus feel tired most of the time. However, others have also reported extreme fatigue despite already being COVID-free.
Doctors have noticed patients complaining from fatigue even two months after they first showed symptoms. But then, it’s a common sign of many things, including lack of sleep, cold, flu, and burnout.
Breathlessness
One of the lasting effects of COVID-19 is breathlessness. Although how long a recovered patient will experience shortness of breath has not been established, this sign is primarily linked to lung inflammation.
Shortness of breath is one of the most lingering signs for those who had the coronavirus. As such, if you find it difficult to breathe for quite some time, you may have had contracted COVID-19.