Fatigue, body aches and more: Here are the lesser-known coronavirus symptoms

Fever, cough and shortness of breath are the most common symptoms of coronavirus, but what are some less common signs you may have the virus?

Fatigue

Up to 44 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reported they were exhausted and fatigued, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A 54-year-old woman told the Washington Post her first noticeable signs of catching the virus were dizziness and fatigue. She found out a few days later she had COVID-19.

Fatigue is also a symptom of influenza or the common cold, so you may not have COVID-19 if it’s one of your only symptoms.

Body aches

One of the first signs Elizabeth Schneider, of Seattle, had when she became ill was body aches, along with a slight fever and a headache, she told USA Today. Her symptoms later progressed before finding out she had coronavirus.

Body aches were the worst symptom for 48-year-old California woman Cara Vidano, who suspects she has the virus, according to the Press Democrat. Her 53-year-old boyfriend has a confirmed COVID-19 case.

“Our legs were so sore,” she told the Press Democrat. “It was like we had run a long-distance race.”

A Los Angeles man who got the virus while on a ski trip in Italy told CBS LA that COVID-19 caused the worst body aches he’s ever had.

Diarrhea

A study by the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed nearly half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients said their primary complaint were digestive issues, including diarrhea.

Patients with digestive symptoms had a higher risk of death, the study found.

A New Jersey man who tested positive told Vice he didn’t have a cough, but one of his symptoms was diarrhea. He also suffered aches, pains and dizziness.

Stomach cramps and vomiting are other gastrointestinal problems that could mean you have coronavirus, Dr. Ajay Kumar of Hartford HealthCare told the CTPost.

Loss of smell or taste

An association of British ear, nose and throat doctors said there were “significant numbers” of people with coronavirus in China, Italy and South Korea who also experienced anosmia, which is the loss of smell.

Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert was among the positive cases who said he lost his smell and taste. He said after testing positive he hadn’t “been able to smell anything for the last 4 days.”

Dr. Claire Hopkins, a surgeon with the British association, said the loss of smell and taste was more common in younger patients who often did not have the significant symptoms.

The virus could cause loss of smell or taste because it originates in the nasal cavity, according to Bloomberg.

Runny nose

Having a runny nose isn’t a definitive symptom, but it could mean you have the virus if other symptoms are also present, according to the World Health Organization.

Nasal congestion was only shown in one out of every 20 coronavirus patients in a Chinese report, Dr. Kristine Arthur with Memorial Care Medical Group told Healthline.

Another lesser known coronavirus symptom is itchy, red eyes.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Fatigue, body aches and more: Here are the lesser-known coronavirus symptoms."