COVID-19 Can Look Like the Common Cold, Researchers Say

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) "can often present as a common cold-like illness," researchers conclude in a study on the preprint server medRxiv.

The researchers studied nine young- to middle-aged adults in Germany who developed COVID-19 after close contact with a known case. All had generally mild clinical courses; seven had upper respiratory tract disease, and two had limited involvement of the lower respiratory tract. Pharyngeal virus shedding was high during the first week of symptoms, peaking on day 4. Additionally, sputum viral shedding persisted after symptom resolution. The researchers say the current case definition for COVID-19, which emphasizes lower respiratory tract disease, may need to be adjusted.

In other COVID-19 news:

• The U.S. has reported over 900 confirmed cases, with 28 deaths.

• New York is planning to send the National Guard to a containment area in New Rochelle, where a COVID-19 cluster has emerged. The Guard will clean schools and bring food to quarantined people, the New York Times reports.

• Colorado, Massachusetts, and North Carolina each declared a state of emergency over COVID-19 on Tuesday.

• Vice President Mike Pence said that U.S. health insurers will cover coronavirus treatment and waive co-pays for testing. They will also cover telemedicine visits.

• The FDA is postponing inspections of most foreign facilities, including drug manufacturing sites, through April. The agency said it's using "additional tools to ensure the safety of products imported to the U.S.," like sampling products at U.S. borders and taking into account a company's history of compliance.

• The CDC has published interim guidance for outpatient hemodialysis centers treating patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. See the fifth link below for details.