Every time I sneeze or cough I worry a little inside. Do I have the dreaded coronavirus, or is it just seasonal allergies. I've researched the symptoms associated with COVID-19, but a young woman from Boise who has tested positive for the virus says her first symptom was one you may not expect. 

22-year-old Natalie Little of Boise says the first thing she noticed was a loss of her taste and smell senses. Natalie told the Idaho Statesman that the loss of taste and smell was not enough to get her tested, but when she started experiencing shortness of breath, she was able to get screened and her test came back positive.

The loss of the sense of taste and smell has been requested as part of the screening protocols for COVID-19 according to The American Academy of Otolaryngology.

Natalie says the biggest message she wants to send is

Don't think this doesn't apply to you, no matter your age, no matter who or who you haven't been in contact with. Because we're still figuring out what the virus can do and how evolved its virulence factors are, and its so easy to spread to others. We're now finding out that younger people can be even exhibiting zero symptoms and still be able to spread it to other people that it will affect much worse.

Other symptoms of COVID-19 include these symptoms according to the CDC.

  • high fever
  • dry cough
  • shortness of breath

Please stay home and follow the governor's orders.

Social Distancing Zodiac

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