Study out of New York could change everything we thought we knew about fevers and coronavirus

Scientists are continuing to research COVID-19 and some of the findings have upset what we thought we knew about coronavirus.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shares what doctors have discovered in New York state’s largest health system.

“The analysis is the largest and most comprehensive look at outcomes in the United States to be published so far. Researchers looked at the electronic medical records of 5,700 patients infected with covid-19 between Mar. 1 and Apr. 4 who were treated at Northwell Health’s 12 hospitals located in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County — all epicenters of the outbreak. Sixty percent were male, 40 percent female and the average age was 63,” The Washington Postreported Wednesday.

“One other surprising finding from the study was that 70 percent of the patients sick enough to be admitted to the hospital did not have a fever. Fever is currently listed as the top symptom of covid-19 by the CDC, and for weeks, many testing centers for the virus turned away patients if they did not have one,” the newspaper reported.

Prof. Karina Davidson, the study’s lead author, said that in response to the findings, Northwell is encouraging people with underlying health conditions, but without a fever, to consult with a doctor sooner if they’ve potentially been exposed to the virus.