Scenario

Symptoms of the virus varied in severity from being asymptomatic to having more than one symptom. The most common symptoms were fever, persistent dry cough, and tiredness. Less common symptoms were aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, anosmia/hyposmia (total/partial loss of sense of smell and taste), and running nose. Serious symptoms included difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or feeling of chest pressure, loss of speech or movement. People with serious symptoms needed to seek immediate medical attention, proceeding with an initial assessment call (no contacts) to the doctor or health facility. People with mild symptoms had to manage their symptoms at home, without a doctor assessment. Elderly people (above 70 years old) and those with pre-existent health conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer) were considered more at risk of developing severe symptoms. Males in these groups also appeared to be at a slightly higher risk than females. Most infected people developed mild to moderate illness and recovered without hospitalization.