CDC Triples Number of Possible CCP Virus Symptoms

Joseph Little, a nurse, takes samples from people to test them for the CCP virus at a drive-through station outside the AllCare Family Medical Clinic in Washington on April 6, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Six possible symptoms of the CCP virus were added to a list of potential signs of the new illness by a federal agency and include chills and loss of taste or smell.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year, causes COVID-19, a disease that’s killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Only three symptoms of the virus were listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for months: fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

In recent days, the agency added six others.

They are: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell.

The CDC also coupled difficulty breathing to shortness of breath.

Health workers carry a patient out of an ambulance in front of the Elmhurst Hospital Center in Elmhurst, New York, on March 29, 2020. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

The agency previously stated, “Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.”

Its symptom webpage now says, “People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported—ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.”

It also shifted language about the incubation period, or the time period from when a person gets infected and when they show symptoms.

“These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses),” the page previously said. It now states, “These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.”

An alert telling people when to immediately seek medical attention was unchanged. If people have trouble breathing, experience persistent pain or pressure in the chest, have new confusion or an inability to arouse, or suffer from bluish lips or face, they are told to call 911.

The World Health Organization says common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, fatigue, and a dry cough.

A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19. (NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters)

Other symptoms listed by the group are: shortness of breath, aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, and a runny nose.

“People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should self-isolate and contact their medical provider or a COVID-19 information line for advice on testing and referral. People with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should call their doctor and seek medical attention,” the group states on its website.

Most patients who contract the CCP virus experience no, mild, or moderate symptoms and do not require hospital care. Scores of patients have recovered through rest and symptom treatment. The virus primarily causes severe illness or death in the elderly or those with underlying health conditions such as kidney disease, hypertension, or obesity.

There are no proven treatments or vaccines for the new illness.

Prevention measures recommended by experts include washing hands frequently, maintaining at least 6 feet between yourself and people you don’t live with, and wearing a mask and gloves when entering indoor spaces other than your place of residence.