Coronavirus experts say online symptom checking tools could be missing mild symptoms and giving people a false sense of security. Many online tools only ask if people have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, and if people respond they do not they are told it is unlikely they have the virus.
However, recent evidence suggests there are more possible mild symptoms of the virus, such as a sore throat, aches, fatigue, or losing the senses of smell and taste. These symptoms could be early signs of Covid-19, but many online platforms are only asking for more serious symptoms which could lead people to believe they don’t have the virus when they may actually be carrying it. The CDC test is thorough, but does not ask people if they’ve lost their sense of smell or taste like other online symptom checkers do.
A French symptom checker asks 23 questions with a wider variety of symptoms, while the British tool is based on only three major symptoms. Some tools also does not ask people about underlying conditions, when it should likely be telling people to call their GP if they are at high risk and exhibiting some symptoms.
Australia, Canada, and South Korea are asking people to stay home if they report a sore throat or other symptoms, and the WHO states that aches, sore throat, diarrhea, and nausea are common symptoms in addition to the major symptoms of dry cough, fever, and shortness of breath.
We use Cookies.