19-06-2020 by Mirai
Fever, cough, fatigue are not the only symptoms that can be associated with the coronavirus. British researchers have identified a new manifestation of the coronavirus: acute pancreatitis. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the pancreas, most often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption. It is manifested in particular by violent abdominal pain.
In their study published in the journal Gastroenterology, these scientists explain that they have identified this symptom in patients hospitalized in the pancreatic unit of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital (England). They were all young men who were overweight or obese. They had symptoms like inflammation of the pancreas and high levels of blood sugar and fat.
"Our study highlights for the first time signs of acute pancreatitis that had not been recognized in patients with covid-19. Knowledge of these signs will allow physicians to make an earlier diagnosis and allow for faster orientation and management," said Christopher Halloran. , professor of pancreatic surgery and co-author of the study.
Covid-19: what is "silent hypoxia"?
Doctors have revealed a mysterious phenomenon: Some patients with very low oxygen saturation Covid-19 come to the hospital simply for complaining of shortness of breath. However, this low oxygen saturation is generally marked by respiratory distress, rendering patients inconsistent or even comatose.
How to explain that these patients are not aware that their health has deteriorated so much? "We don't see this phenomenon in the setting of community flu or pneumonia. It's a much deeper and very abnormal physiological mechanism that takes place under our eyes ... We just don't understand it," says Dr. Mike Charlesworth, anesthesiologist at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester.
Although silent, this hypoxia can cause damage to the lungs, but also to other organs such as the heart, kidneys and brain. This is a good reason to monitor the oxygen saturation of Covid-19 positive patients in order to detect possible respiratory difficulties early.
Covid-19: skin symptoms
Hives, frostbite, redness ... These skin symptoms could also be associated with Covid-19. This is what the National Union of Dermatologists-Venerologists (SNDV) said in a press release.
These cutaneous manifestations of the disease appear more precisely in the form of acrosyndromes that take on the appearance of frostbite of the extremities, but also in the form of persistent redness, sometimes painful and temporary.
These symptoms are believed to affect "teens and young adults," some of whom may be "asymptomatic while others have weak lung signs," said Dr. Luc Sulimovic, dermatologist and president of SNDV at Doctor's Daily.
Although these skin manifestations may be associated with Covid-19, they may also not be related to the disease. "We must be attentive to these signs of the skin and look for other clinical signs in context, but we must also be cautious, because any freezing is not necessarily a Covid sign, freezing is a fairly frequent dermatosis", specifies the French dermatology society in another press release.
However, the SNDV alerts "the population and the medical profession to detect these potentially contagious patients as quickly as possible without necessarily showing signs of respiratory distress." Therefore, he invites patients suffering from these types of symptoms to contact a dermatologist by teleconsultation.
Conjunctivitis, another symptom of coronavirus
Another weirder sign could also add to the list of coronavirus symptoms: conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the lining that covers the inside of the eyelids. In any case, this is what the American Academy of Ophthalmology said in a press release.
Two studies confirm the existence of this symptom. The first, published in the Journal of Medical Virology, was performed on 30 Covid-19 patients hospitalized in China. One of them had conjunctivitis and doctors found traces of the virus in his eye secretions. The second, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was performed on 1,009 Chinese patients affected by the coronavirus: 9 of them suffered from conjunctivitis.
If this Covid-19 sign is still rare, ophthalmologists still recommend that health professionals protect their eyes when managing patients potentially affected by the coronavirus.
Covid-19 symptoms: possible worsening
If the list of coronavirus symptoms grows over time, specialists warn of a possible worseninglie of these signs. "What we do know, even if it's rare enough, is that people who have mild symptoms can get worse after a few days, with an onset of breathing difficulties," said the CEO. of health Jérôme Salomon. A warning that is more particularly directed at "younger subjects."
Symptoms that Jérôme Salomon illustrated through various examples: "As soon as one has the impression in daily life that one is out of breath taking steps in the apartment, moving furniture, keeping his business, preparing food, it's a signal that should alert, not just call the doctor but potentially call the emergency if you really have trouble breathing, "he said.
Therefore, it is essential to remain alert so as not to waste time in case of worsening disease, in order to be treated as quickly as possible in the hospital.
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