CDC adds six new symptoms to the COVID-19 list. Watch out for these

Coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of stopping. With 26,000 cases in India and over 2.81 million cases worldwide, a big percentage of the reported cases are turning out to be asymptomatic - which basically means that these infected people are not showing general coronavirus symptoms.

As more and more cases come to light, newer symptoms are being discovered, making people worry about the rapidly rising rates of transmission and spread. In light of this, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has added six new triggers to the list of symptoms, tripling the number to 9 now.

Here is the updated list of new symptoms :

Loss of smell or sensation was one of the most prominent atypical symptoms which came to be associated with COVID-19. Loss of smell or taste occurs when a person is unable to detect odours and usually happens when a person has a blocked nose or with growing age. The symptom was largely found to be present in patients across Britain in late March and it was feared that a lot of patients might have unknowingly spread the infection.

While chills are usually dismissed as a minor problem, it can be a cause of concern if you suffer from other coronavirus symptoms as well. Feeling cold without a reason, accompanied by intense shaking is being tagged as a prominent symptom of COVID-19. The symptom was most famously reported by a news reporter, who broke his tooth after suffering from extreme chills and shaking.

Many patients, especially the elderly are reporting myalgia (pain around the muscles and the joints) as a persistent symptom of coronavirus. Muscle pain has been found affecting close to 14.8% of patients across the US as well, which is the new epicentre of the disease spread. Muscle pain happens when the virus attacks the tissues and cells and triggers an inflammatory reaction. Stiffness and pain can also happen when the body goes through a period of inactivity. However, so far, the symptom has largely been found in people suffering from a severe case of the virus and not the milder infections.

Having a headache while suffering from cold is quite common. It can also happen when you have a respiratory infection, such as the one caused by novel coronavirus. According to newer findings, a debilitating headache, accompanied by the feeling of a persisting pain or pressure around the temples and the eyelids has been found to one of the symptoms of coronavirus infection.

Just recently, there was growing concern that coronavirus could lead to conjunctivitis (pink eye infection), meaning that the virus could not just spread through respiratory droplets but nasal and eye fluids too. A study published in JAMA ophthalmology mentioned that a patient was likely to suffer from pink eye.

Not only does coronavirus leads to a bad coughing spree, one of its unusual symptoms is the presence of a dry cough, which happens when the irritant (in this case, a virus) attacks the respiratory tract. Almost 60% of COVID-19 positive cases report sore throat, along with a dry cough as a typical symptom.

Coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate and the symptoms for people differ depending on their age, health, pre-existing conditions and severity. It's important to watch out for symptoms, rush for help and avoid any contact which can lead to further spread of the infection.