Can Symptoms Alone Diagnose COVID-19? / Comprehensive Symptom Studies Analysis

With the growing evidence that both PCR/swab and antibody test results can be inconclusive, the question over whether it’s possible to diagnose Covid-19 from symptoms along is becoming ever more pressing. Does it present like influenza, or are the symptoms distinctive enough for clinicians to be able to confidently diagnose from them alone? Well, the Cochrane Review on signs and symptoms investigated this question, analysing the results of 16 studies including 7,706 patients.

And I have the latest results of my symptoms survey of long haulers, with almost 1,800 taking part for the most comprehensive cross sectional study of this group yet.

And what do these symptoms tell us? Why does the virus present in so many ways? New evidence suggests that our early understanding of the nature of the disease was a long way short of the full picture. I investigate it here.

For those wondering who I am, and why I’m making these films, I address it in my film about Bad Science, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FULycGPmN18

0:00 Introduction
0:35 Background
1:52 The Cochrane Review
3:30 The Long Haulers Study
9:20 Conclusion

References:

Cochrane Review on Signs and Symptoms:
https://www.cochrane.org/news/featured-review-can-symptoms-and-medical-examination-accurately-diagnose-covid-19-disease

BBC, “How Covid-19 can damage the Brain":
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200622-the-long-term-effects-of-covid-19-infection

Science, “Blood vessel attack could trigger CV second wave"
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/blood-vessel-attack-could-trigger-coronavirus-fatal-second-phase

The Lancet, "CV affects Endothelial Cells"
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30937-5/fulltext

Hypothalamus as hub for SARS2 infection, Nampoothiri et al
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.08.139329v1

Hypothalamus function, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamus

New York Times, Daily Podcast, “Four New Insights About the Coronavirus”:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/podcasts/the-daily/coronavirus-science-indoor-infection.html?action=click&module=audio-series-bar&pgtype=Article®ion=header

Видео Can Symptoms Alone Diagnose COVID-19? / Comprehensive Symptom Studies Analysis канала RUN-DMC / Gez Medinger