Partly True: Nipah virus infection has the same symptoms as COVID-19.

By: Sunil Kumar
September 17 2021

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Nipah and COVID-19 have a few similar symptoms like fever, headache, and respiratory infections. However, not all symptoms are common between the two.The Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus transmitted from animal to human. It can also be spread from person to person via contaminated food. According to the World Health Organization, initial symptoms are nonspecific, and the diagnosis is often not suspected at the time of presentation. COVID-19 can also spread from an infected person's mouth or nose in minute liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or breathe. The particles range in size from larger respiratory droplets to tiny aerosols. According to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Nipah virus symptoms usually appear 4-14 days after being infected to the virus. Fever, headache, cough, and signs of a respiratory infection such as sore throat and difficulty breathing are among the symptoms. Severe symptoms include disorientation and mental confusion and can quickly progress to coma in as little as 24-48 hours. COVID-19 has a broad spectrum of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Symptoms might emerge anywhere from 2 to 14 days after being exposed to the virus. Fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat, and headache are the most prevalent COVID-19 symptoms. COVID-19 patients have also reported losing their sense of smell and taste, which is a typical symptom. According to Mayo Clinic, older people have a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, which increases as they become older. People with pre-existing medical issues may be more susceptible to severe sickness. COVID-19 may raise the risk of serious illness in people with some medical issues. However, Nipah and COVID-19 cause a broad spectrum of symptoms in the individual at first. Another common symptom of COVID-19 patients is loss of sense of smell and taste, which is not a frequent symptom of Nipah virus infection. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.