This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
Covid-19: Why patients develop dry cough and fever ¶
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, medical experts have been working to understand the symptoms and how the virus affects the human body. One of the most common symptoms of Covid-19 is a dry cough, which can be accompanied by fever.
According to data from the Ministry of Health in Kenya, out of the 3,106 positive cases reported so far, only 20 per cent are symptomatic. The rest do not present with any symptoms. The most common symptoms are cough and fever, which are present in 49 and 44 per cent of patients respectively, followed by shortness of breath at 31 per cent.
Prof Matilu Mwau, a researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, warned that people with symptoms need to be monitored closely, as the transmission of the virus is easier and can lead to complications.
Dr Van Kerkhove, the head of the World Health Organization, urged countries to focus on following asymptomatic patients to cut the transmission of the virus. He said that if symptomatic cases were isolated and their contacts quarantined, transmission would be drastically reduced.
Dr Isaac Ngere, a medical epidemiologist, explained that Covid-19 is a respiratory infection that gets through the respiratory route and causes infection to the lungs. He said that the virus binds to specific receptors in the body, which are abundant in the lungs, and causes irritation, leading to dry cough symptoms.
Dr Eric Osoro, a doctor and epidemiologist, added that the virus moves down the respiratory tract, causing damage to the lungs and leading to fluid leaking from small blood vessels in the lungs. This makes it difficult for the lungs to transfer oxygen from the air to the blood, resulting in breathing difficulty.
