Covid-19 red flags: Acute headache, hearing loss newer suspected symptoms

Members of the state Covid-19 taskforce have urged physicians to suspect Covid-19 even in cases where the hallmark signs aren't present: these include cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath.

Some of the newer symptoms increasingly seen in Covid-19 patients are reduced hearing, dry mouth, throbbing headache, conjunctivitis, reduced saliva secretion, and skin rashes, according to Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the Covid taskforce.

Though the coronavirus has been around for over 17 months, newer symptoms are still evolving and there is a need to watch out for them, Pandit said in an online conference chaired by CM Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday.


An inflammation of the auditory nerve or a clot caused by the viral infection could affect hearing just like it affects the sense of smell, said Dr Samir Bhargava, head of ENT at RN Cooper Hospital. There are only few documented cases of sensorineural hearing loss associated with Covid-19.

During the second wave that was driven by the Delta variant, most presented only gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, said Dr Sanjay Oak, chairman of the taskforce. Even fever can be present in varying forms, he added.

Some do not get any fever, some get it in sudden bursts, some in intervals of two-three days, while in many it completely subsides only to return with severity, Oak explained.

India reported 38,948 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with 43,903 recoveries and 219 deaths, as per the Health Ministry.