Case 1: Female, age 35. Mild
On January 20, a passenger disembarked the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Hong Kong. Just 10 days later, on February 1, she tested positive for Covid-19.
By then the ship had sailed on and was docked in Yokohama, Japan. As news of the positive test spread, the Diamond Princess was quarantined and its passengers told to isolate themselves in their rooms. All on board were provided thermometers and asked to check their temperature several times a day.
Crew members were instructed to continue their duties and to report fever or respiratory symptoms. Despite the lockdown, the virus spread fast.
By February 28, a total of 705 Covid-19 cases were confirmed among 4,061 passengers and crew; 392 cases were symptomatic, 36 people were admitted to intensive care units, and 6 patients died. A seventh death was announced on Saturday.
Case 1 occurred in a 35-year-old woman from South Asia who worked as a waitress on the ship. On day one of her illness, February 7, she experienced throat dryness and a slight cough. She and her roommate shared a bathroom with two others who had previously had similar symptoms.
Case 1 reported her symptoms but continued to work. On day 3, she had throat soreness, stayed in her room, and was tested for the virus. On days 4–5, her symptoms diminished but on day 6, her test came back positive and she was transferred to Asahi General Hospital in Chiba, Japan.
At admission, she had a “slight sore throat and cough” but all her vital signs were normal. On examination, doctors found her throat was “bright red” but that there were no lesions or pus and she did not have pneumonia. However her throat was still sore and she continued to cough.
On day 8, she reported “slight rhinorrhea” - a runny nose. On day 9, she again tested positive but her symptoms continued to diminish, and by day 10 she was feeling fine.
Test results were positive on days 13 and 15, negative on day 19, positive again on day 20, and negative again on days 22 and 23, meeting the criteria for her safe discharge from hospital.
Case 1 never had a fever or shortness of breath. Her only symptoms were a sore throat and a cough. One of her colleagues, a kitchen porter on the same ship, had the same bright red throat but in the later days of his illness could not feel it, even when testing positive.
“As the virus spreads, more mild COVID-19 cases are likely, and clinicians should be aware of clinical manifestations in the absence of severe symptoms,” say the report’s authors.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...navirus-could/