Delaying Covid test could cost you your life, experts warn

Time is not on your side when it comes to the delta variant – and delaying a Covid test and, more importantly, a thorough clinical assessment of your condition, could cost you your life.

One of the problems with the devastating coronavirus variant – now the dominant strain in the world which experts say is 60% more transmissible than previous strains – is that symptoms can be slightly different.

Those who test positive are often reporting that they initially thought it was a normal cold. And even when people are diagnosed Covid-positive, they often put off going to hospital if their symptoms worsen, meaning that by the time they are assessed, Covid could already be established in their bodies for some days.

Epidemiologist Dr Jo Barnes said the delta variant definitely had slightly different symptoms and while these may be mistaken for flu, it was always better to get tested and seek help earlier as it allowed a much better chance of getting through a case of Covid.

“There are few cases, for instance, of loss of sense of smell, that was such a feature of earlier Covid cases. But on the whole the symptoms also start as a case of flu, headache and sore throat and in these dangerous times, it is never a good idea to ignore such symptoms and hope they will go away.”

She also said with areas where the pandemic third wave was at its height, getting access to hospital care could be a challenge. However, she added that should not cause people to put off going to ask for help.

“The rising number of deaths can also be attributed to the fact that the delta variant is much more infective and that it seems to have a more serious effect on younger people,” she added.

“The original virus that circulated in the beginning spared young people a lot more. Now they are also falling ill. Unfortunately, the young seem to be more likely to delay seeking healthcare.”

Fever, headache, sore throat and runny nose were the most common signs, while coughing and loss of smell were not.

Other reports linked the delta variant to more serious symptoms such as hearing impairment, severe intestinal issues and blood clots leading to tissue death and infection.

South African broadcaster Eusebius McKaiser revealed how he survived Covid and the lessons he learnt after testing positive in the latest episode of his podcast, In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser.

In an episode which he titled “I almost died of Covid-19”, he explained that he tested positive after experiencing soreness of the throat that would not go away after three days of tonsillitis treatment.

McKaiser added that his general practitioner, whom he has consulted for years, initially insisted on increasing his tonsillitis medication, until he opted to take Covid test.

He also said the doctor advocated for the use of ivermectin without even knowing that he had Covid pneumonia. But after consulting other doctors, he was admitted to a Covid ward at Netcare Olivedale Hospital in Johannesburg.

McKaiser’s message was: don’t take a chance with this variant. And don’t delay testing or getting assessed properly.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the delta variant is a variant of concern that they are tracking and monitoring around the world.

WHO Covid technical lead and epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said the delta variant had certain mutations that allowed it to adhere to human cells more easily and that experts were also seeing a higher viral load in individuals infected.

Van Kerkhove said there were a number of factors that were contributing to increased transmission around the world and as of now, the delta variant had been reported in 96 countries and the WHO expected the variant to continue to spread even more.

“The first are these variants of concern, including the delta variant. The second factor is that we have increased social mixing and increased social mobility, which increases the number of contacts that individuals have,” she said.

“The third factor is the relaxation or the inappropriate use of public health and social measures.

“Proven public health and social measures that we know prevent infections, reduce the spread from somebody who is infected with the virus to others and save lives.

“And the fourth factor is the uneven and inequitable distribution of vaccines.”

However, Van Kerkhove said the research was ongoing to determine if delta infection was associated with increased hospitalisation and death. This was because there had been concerns of the healthcare system being on the brink of collapse as beds and oxygen were in short supply in many hospitals.

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