KATHMANDU: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just added six new symptoms to its list of known COVID-19 symptoms, including chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headaches, and a sore throat.

The original list included known symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Here are the new ones:

• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of smell or taste

According to the CDC, these symptoms “may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.”

A notable addition to the list is a “new loss of taste or smell,” something that health experts have suspected to be an early symptom for some time now.

The CDC also noted that you should only seek medical attention if you’re experiencing “emergency warning signs for COVID-19”, including trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face.

It also warned that the list isn’t “all-inclusive,” and that you should “consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.”

It’s also important to note that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can spread asymptomatically, meaning that a certain percentage of the population is carrying the virus without being aware of it. Researchers peg this number to be anywhere between 25 and 50 percent, likely explaining much of the disease’s rapid global spread.

The news comes after a number of health practitioners noticed a strange new sign that patients could be carrying the coronavirus without symptoms — mysterious blue or red discoloration in toes and sometimes fingers.

(with inputs from Agencies)