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CDC expands its list of coronavirus symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now lists 11 potential symptoms for coronavirus.

Clifford Colby Managing Editor
Clifford is a managing editor at CNET, where he leads How-To coverage. He spent a handful of years at Peachpit Press, editing books on everything from the first iPhone to Python. He also worked at a handful of now-dead computer magazines, including MacWEEK and MacUser. Unrelated, he roots for the Oakland A's.
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As the rate of new coronavirus cases climbs and the White House Coronavirus Task Force once again holds a public briefing after a two-month break, the US Centers for Disease Control has added new symptoms to its list of signs that a person could have COVID-19.

"People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported," the CDC reports, "ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus."

Here is the CDC's newly adjusted list of symptoms that may signal COVID-19:

  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Cough
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Fever or chills
  • Headache
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat

The CDC cautions that someone showing any of these signs should seek emergency medical care immediately:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Bluish lips or face

The adjusted list of symptoms reflects the federal government's and health care officials' growing understanding of the virus.

"In all the decades I've been involved in chasing infectious diseases, I've never seen anything so protean in its ability to make people sick or not," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during the June 26 task force briefing. "There's no other infectious disease that goes from 40% of people have no symptoms to some having mild symptoms to some having severe."

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The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.