Is chills a symptom of covid
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
Chills as a Symptom of COVID-19
Introduction to COVID-19 Symptoms
COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), presents a wide range of symptoms. While fever, cough, and shortness of breath are commonly recognized, other symptoms such as chills have also been reported. This article synthesizes research findings to determine whether chills are a significant symptom of COVID-19.
Prevalence of Chills in COVID-19 Patients
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have identified chills as a symptom in COVID-19 patients. A comprehensive meta-analysis involving 24,266 patients found that 14.45% of adult COVID-19 patients experienced chills . Another large-scale study comparing pregnant and non-pregnant COVID-19 patients reported chills in 25% of pregnant women . These findings indicate that chills are a relatively common symptom among various patient demographics.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes
In a study focusing on the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients, chills were identified as a symptom in a significant number of cases. This study highlighted that chills were positively correlated with other severe symptoms such as chest tightness and lung abnormalities on CT scans . Additionally, a systematic review of hospitalized COVID-19 patients found that chills, although less frequently reported than fever, were still a notable symptom .
Chills as a Predictor of Disease Progression
Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19
Chills have been identified as a predictor of disease progression in COVID-19 patients. A retrospective study found that patients presenting with chills had a 6.32-fold increased risk of progressing to severe stages of the disease . This suggests that chills, along with other symptoms like fever and abnormal chest X-ray findings, can be critical indicators for clinicians to monitor.
Community-Based Studies
Community-based studies have also underscored the importance of chills as a symptom. The REACT-1 study, which involved over 1 million participants, identified chills as one of the seven symptoms that jointly predict COVID-19 infection . This reinforces the need for public health measures to consider chills as a significant symptom for early detection and isolation.
Conclusion
Chills are a notable symptom of COVID-19, reported in various patient groups and associated with disease progression. While not as prevalent as fever or cough, chills should be recognized as an important symptom for both clinical diagnosis and public health strategies. Further research and continuous monitoring are essential to fully understand the role of chills in the clinical presentation of COVID-19.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic