BA.5 The epidemic is coming fiercely! Intensivist: Pay attention to "10 voice changes" that may be a precursor to diagnosis
The BA.5 epidemic in Taiwan is approaching violently, and many people are worried about the impact on their lives after contracting the epidemic. Dr. Huang Xuan, an expert in critical care medicine, posted on social media that many people believe that fever, cough, and loss of smell and taste are the main signs of Omicron infection. However, In fact, if there is a “change in pitch” when speaking, or the voice becomes hoarse, it is also suspected to be a precursor to Omicron virus infection.
Taiwan’s BA.5 epidemic is approaching with ferocity! 10 “pitch changes” that may be signs of diagnosis
Dr. Huang Xuan said that according to an analysis of 60,000 people in the well-known journal “The Lancet”, in addition to severe pain and swelling in the throat, changes in voice or tone are also the main symptoms of Omicron infection, especially in those with Omicron infection. A hoarse throat is the most common condition. Research shows that the sound of a husky voice varies from person to person, and the pitch may change in the following ways:
The tone is harsher.
The tone is rougher.
The tone is deeper.
No sound can be made for a while.
The voice suddenly became softer.
Unable to speak loudly.
Even if you laugh, there will be no laughter.
When the pitch is too high, it will split and go out of tune, and you may even be unable to sing.
It takes a long time to make a sound.
Suddenly he doesn’t speak much.
The study also found that the change in the voice of the confirmed patients was no different between those who were vaccinated and those who were not vaccinated; it was also noted that the hoarseness of the voice seemed to be unique to Omicron virus infection, with symptoms such as fever, cough, or loss of smell and taste. More likely to occur in Delta virus infection. Dr. Huang Xuan said that any of the above-mentioned changes in pitch may be a precursor to a hoarse voice, and he called on the public to pay special attention during the BA.5 epidemic.
In addition, according to a small study in the “Journal of Internal Medicine”, it was found that the symptoms of “acute dysphagia” in people infected with Omicron virus were also related to the patient’s changes in pitch and voice. Krzysztof Piersiala, the lead author of the study, pointed out that the 15 patients mainly affected the patients’ upper respiratory tract, and clinical observations caused diseases similar to “acute epiglottitis”.
How to improve sore throat and dysphagia after diagnosis? Intensivists use “3 steps” to relieve pain at home
As for how to relieve dysphagia or severe throat pain after diagnosis? Dr. Huang Xuan said that in addition to making an appointment for online consultation as soon as possible and receiving medicine to relieve symptoms, you can also relieve your sore throat through the following methods during home isolation:
Drink more water. It is recommended to drink more than 1500cc of water a day, or the equivalent of 6-8 glasses of water, to moisturize your throat.
Add ingredients and rinse mouth. Adding a teaspoon of salt to hot water or adding natural lemon juice and gargling every few hours can help relieve throat pain.
Medication. You can make an appointment to see a doctor online to receive medicine, and use prescription medicine to relieve throat pain, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers (acetaminophen), or purchase topical sprays by yourself, etc. The traditional Chinese medicine “Qingguan No. 1” contains “Gualou”, which can dispel phlegm, and “Magnolia officinalis”, which can reduce qi and relieve asthma. They also have certain effects on relieving coughs.
Finally, Dr. Huang Xuan pointed out that the relevant units have evaluated that compared with other previous generation viruses such as BA.1, BA.2 and even Delta, its “R0 value” is the highest in history, which means that the virus reproduces at the fastest speed. Fast and most contagious. Therefore, we call on the public not to underestimate the BA.5 epidemic, make adequate preparations as early as possible, and take thorough epidemic prevention measures, which are necessary means to prevent the spread of BA.5 in the community.
Source:
“BA.5 Come on, please pay attention to this sound” - Dr. Huang Xuan
“COVID19 has unbearable sore throat, what should I do?” - Dr. Huang Xuan
Acute odynophagia: A new symptom of COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant wave in Sweden
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