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Can You Have COVID-19 Without Fever?

The information about COVID-19 is ever evolving as more and more strains of this deadly virus are identified. As countries all over the world prepare for the vaccination drive, it is good to know certain basic information of coronavirus or COVID-19. Social distancing, wearing a mask at public places, and washing hands frequently are the basics that all of us have been following since the beginning of 2020. In fact, COVID-19 has taught us the importance of taking care of our health and giving health the priority over everything else.[1,2,3]

Also, knowing about the symptoms of COVID-19 is an added bonus so that we may know whether it is time to go into self-quarantine. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The primary symptoms of this disease are cough, cold, fever, muscle and joints pains. Among all the symptoms for COVID-19, fever is quite common. It may be a low grade or a high grade fever.[1,2,3]

However, it has been observed that some coronavirus positive patients do not have fever as a symptom. A study done in April of 2020 reported that only about 55% of people with COVID-19 developed fever.[3] This was quite a surprising finding and this article highlights as to whether a person can have COVID-19 without fever.

Can You Have COVID-19 Without Fever?

Can You Have COVID-19 Without Fever?

As stated above and according to the Center for Disease Control, the most prominent symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, chills, cough, muscle and joint pain, problems with breathing, fatigue and lethargy, nose congestion and sore throat. The severity of the symptoms can be from mild to severe. Additionally, it has also been seen that there has been some amount of variability with regard to the symptoms that people with this condition experience.[3]

It has been seen that some people have only mild and common symptoms while others, especially with certain comorbidities, tend to have some of the less common symptoms of COVID-19. A study done in April of 2020 on COVID-19 makes a mention that only 55% of people developed fever. Also, dry cough that is also seen commonly in people with COVID-19 was not present in everyone.[3]

There were other studies conducted as well that showed variable results. A study done in July of last year showed that only approximately 51% of people with confirmed COVID-19 developed fever. Another study showed that out of 57,000 people with confirmed COVID-19 only about 37% had fever when they presented to the hospital.

All these findings clearly indicate clearly that a person can have COVID-19 without fever.[3]

The WHO has also stated that only 20% of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 are severe and the remaining 80% only have mild to moderate symptoms. However, in another study that was done in August of last year, it was stated that fever is one of the earliest symptom of COVID-19 despite the fact that earlier studies showed very few people developed fever. It should be noted here that it takes approximately 5-7 days for the first symptom of COVID-19 to appear after exposure to the virus.[3]

In conclusion, while fever is one of the earliest symptoms of COVID-19, studies have shown that not everyone develops this symptom. This means that a person can have COVID-19 without fever. There have been various studies done that have shown that only approximately 50% of positive cases of COVID-19 develop fever as an initial symptom. In fact, in mild cases there may no symptoms at all.[1,2,3]

The WHO states that 80% of people with COVID-19 have either no symptoms or have very mild symptoms at best. However, it is highly recommended during this time of the pandemic to maintain social distancing, wear a mask when going out, and wash hands regularly with soap and water and use a sanitizer when out as a preventive measure.[1,2,3]

If a person is even mildly suspicious that he or she may have been exposed to the coronavirus then they should get a test done and go into home-quarantine immediately till the infection resolves.[1,2,3]

References:

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:March 13, 2021

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