Xerostomia is first Covid symptom that can appear before other signs

Coronavirus: Key symptoms of the new Centaurus variant

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While a loss of taste is one of the best known Covid symptoms that can strike in your mouth, xerostomia which also operates in this area could break the news of the virus. Classed as an early symptom, the key sensation might be the first red flag appearing days before other symptoms crop up.

According to a research paper, published in the journal Future Virology, xerostomia is an early sign of coronavirus that appears in the initial stages.

Xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, describes a condition in which the salivary glands in your mouth don’t make enough saliva.

You’ve surely experienced that annoying dryness at some point in your life, which had nothing to do with the virus.

However, the research reports that this lesser-known sign was seen across 60 percent of Covid cases the team looked at.

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What’s more, dry mouth was classed as an initial sign that appeared as early as three or four days before other symptoms.

That prompted scientists to conclude that xerostomia could help ring alarm bells before other warning signs appear.

The team observed hospitalised Covid patients admitted to the Infectious Diseases Department of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran, daily until the stubborn symptom resolved.

Fortunately, the majority of patients who experienced this dry sensation saw this sign eased when they started treatment.

The researchers penned: “Xerostomia in COVID-19 could occur before the common symptoms.

“It could be hypothesised that it could be used for early diagnosis, quarantine and treatment.

“As a result, disease transmission might be prevented and the best treatment outcomes could be achieved.”

While dry mouth can be an early Covid red flag, there are also various other problems that can stir up this sign.

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Fortunately, there are other Covid symptoms that could help identify the virus, ranging from sore throat to headache.

According to the NHS, the full list of Covid symptoms to be aware of includes:

• High temperature or shivering (chills)
• New, continuous cough
• Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling tired or exhausted
• Aching body
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Blocked or runny nose
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea
• Feeling sick or being sick.

While there’s no need to self-isolate by the law, the NHS still asks people to stay at home and avoid contact with others if infected.

Furthermore, your symptoms might also depend on your vaccination status, reports Zoe Covid Study App, which monitors the virus and its symptoms through patients using their app.

The current dominant symptoms found in those with two jabs are sore throat, runny nose, blocked nose, persistent cough, headache and sneezing.

Zoe explains: “Generally, we saw similar symptoms of COVID-19 being reported overall in the app by people who had and hadn’t been vaccinated.

“However, fewer symptoms were reported over a shorter period of time by those who had already had a jab, suggesting that they were falling less seriously ill and getting better more quickly.

“If you’ve not yet been vaccinated, then the symptoms are more recognisable to the traditional original ranking.”

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