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Doctors say they're finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish Covid from allergies or the common cold, even as hospitalizations tick up. The illness' past hallmarks, such as a dry cough or the loss of sense of taste or smell, have become less common. Instead, doctors are observing milder disease, mostly concentrated in the upper respiratory tract.

"We're grieving parents. I don't want to see any more grieving parents"The grieving parents of a 20-year-old Northampton amateur footballer have questioned health authorities about the sudden death of their son - and they want answers. Luke Abrahams, from East Hunsbury, died on the operating table at Northampton General Hospital on Sunday, January 23 after first complaining about a sore throat a week before. The former Abbeyfield School student was well-known in the Northants football community, playing for Blisworth FC and Hunsbury Hawks FC and also having associations with AFC Spinney. Dad Richard Abrahams and mum Julie Needham said: "We...

A SAGE government adviser has said that fatigue, headache, sore throat and diarrhoea should be added to the list of COVID symptoms, prompting concerns that this will artificially inflate case numbers.The London Times reports: “Including fatigue, headache, sore throat and diarrhoea on the official list of Covid symptoms would pick up a third more cases of the virus, Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage), said.” “As older people are vaccinated, proportionally more younger people are having the disease and they have a different group of symptoms,” Semple asserted, adding, “By extending the symptom list,...

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday, but is recovering in isolation with her family at home, officials said. Evette had a sore throat and headache Thursday and was tested for the virus. She has stayed at her family's home near Greenville since noting the symptoms, said Brian Symmes, the spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster. “She is feeling better now," said Symmes, adding Evette plans to stay out of the public for two weeks. Evette's positive test prompted McMaster and his wife to get COVID-19 tests, which both came back negative...

Fighting the new coronavirus has been a battle against the unknown for doctors. ... Now, an account by medics on the front line of this epidemic, at the Jinyintan Hospital, in Wuhan, is starting to provide answers. A detailed analysis of the first 99 patients treated there has been published in the Lancet medical journal. Lung assault All of the 99 patients taken to the hospital had pneumonia - their lungs were inflamed and the tiny sacs where oxygen moves from the air to the blood were filling with water. Other symptoms were: 82 had fever 81 had a cough...

Reference article about fomites and spread of viruses in offic enclosed environments. Long technical article. Pertains to enteric and Norovirus among others. Short version via MailOnline available here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2748351/Why-really-need-wash-hands-work-Infections-spread-office-door-handle-half-workforce-just-two-HOURS.html (Snip) Study found between 40 and 60 per cent of office contaminated in two hours Pushing buttons in lifts and touching phones spread infection quickest  Disinfectant wipes and regularly washing hands is best way to kill germs   Infections can spread from an office door handle to half the workforce in just two hours, new research has found.  Using tracer viruses, a study found as much as 60 per cent of...

I never thought I would be doing a vanity on this but here it goes. I am interested in knowing how people cope with Spring allergies. I have never had them until this year apparently. I have had a sore throat now going into day 18,I have seen the doctor twice where once gave me Ketex and decongestion meds and those did nothing,so they ruled out the common cold or flu or any bacterial infection. My throat is still red,I still am congested,I have regular acid reflux (gerd) to be exact so when I sleep at night all of the...