Researchers, doctors, and health experts are keeping their eyes and ears open for what could be coronavirus symptoms, and now we have what could be considered the strangest symptom yet.
Researchers have performed case studies on some select COVID-19 patients and have found something quite interesting.
The first case study, which isn’t yet peer reviewed, was published back in June and looked at a 64-year-old man. This man had persistent hiccups for more than 72 hours, and then proceeded to got the emergency room where it was discovered he had glass opacities-a signature of serious lung diseases.
The 64-year-old man was later found to have contracted COVID-19, and his hiccups then proceeded to continue for a further 7 days, yet he never developed any visible COVID-19 symptoms.
In July, a similar case study was published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine and looked at a 62-year-old man who had hiccups that last four whole days, yet had no other symptoms. After having a CT and chest X-ray scan, it was discovered he had ground-glass opacities throughout his lungs and was COVID-19 positive.
Researchers believe these two case studies highlight the importance of medical practitioners monitoring all potential symptoms for a potential COVID-19 infection. The researchers from the July study wrote,
“This case report highlights two important issues: first, it stresses the importance of a detailed evaluation in those presenting with hiccups, at a minimum taking a thorough history, physical exam, obtaining basic laboratory work, and getting a chest X-ray. Second, physicians should keep COVID-19 infection on their differential as more cases are discovered through atypical presentations.”