What Trump may experience after testing positive for coronavirus

After months of downplaying the virus, President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have tested positive for Covid-19.

As of now, the president and first lady are reported to be suffering from mild symptoms of the virus.

“I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good,” Ms Trump tweeted on Friday, adding that she is “looking forward to a speedy recovery.”

While much was not known about coronavirus at the start of 2020, researchers have since been able to identify the most common symptoms associated with the virus as the number of global cases has grown to more than 34m.

However, the long-term symptoms of the coronavirus are still largely unknown, with researchers and those who experienced the virus only just beginning to detail some of the longer impacts.

These are the symptoms of coronavirus and the symptoms of what is now being referred to as long-Covid.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone who contracts coronavirus can have mild to severe symptoms. These include fever or chills, a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches and fatigue.

Other symptoms commonly associated with the virus are neurological, such as loss of taste and smell.

For most people who test positive for coronavirus, the symptoms will appear slowly and then only mildly, with the symptoms typically subsiding after a two-week period.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 80 per cent of infections are mild or asymptomatic.

As for when these symptoms are expected, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that, on average, it takes just over five days for symptoms to begin.

However, in severe cases, the virus can lead to trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face, according to the CDC, which recommends at that point seeking emergency medical attention.

In addition to possibly requiring hospitalisation, more severe cases of Covid-19 may also lead to a longer period of symptoms, typically lasting six weeks.

According to the CDC, older adults, such as the president, who is 74, are at the highest risk of getting coronavirus, with the risk of severe illness also increasing with age.

The agency states that the greatest risk for severe illness from Covid-19 is among those aged 85 or older.

What is long-Covid?

Although not an official term, long-Covid is being used to refer to those who have symptoms of the virus past the two-week period.

These long-term symptoms, which have been reported by survivors of the illness, are impacting both those who had mild cases and those who experienced more severe cases of the virus.

According to WHO, 20 per cent of people aged 18–34 reported prolonged symptoms.

What are the symptoms of long-Covid?

Symptoms often associated with long-Covid include fatigue, a persistent cough or chest pain, prolonged loss of taste or smell, breathlessness and memory loss.

On 20 August, a study published by Southmead hospital in Bristol found that a total of 81 patients out of 110 discharged from the hospital were still experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, including breathlessness, excessive fatigue and muscle aches, after 12 weeks.

There has also been preliminary evidence that coronavirus may cause more severe side effects such as long-term impacts on lung function, with an August 2020 study finding that people with severe Covid-19 are often discharged with signs of pulmonary fibrosis, a type of lung damage that can cause long-term breathing difficulties.

A separate study also found the virus can affect the heart muscle, with researchers speculated that coronavirus can cause myocarditis, inflammation of this muscle.

As of now, researchers are not clear what causes someone to experience long-term symptoms or side effects of coronavirus.