Coronavirus patients may have mild symptoms for a week before condition becomes severe

Prof Leo Yee Sin (left), executive director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, and Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, chief health scientist at the Singapore Ministry of Health, during a press conference on Feb 10, 2020. - ST/ANN

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Several of the locally infected patients with no known links had seen a doctor two or three times before they were sent to hospital.

This is because the illness generally starts mild with non-specific symptoms such as cough, sore throat, slight fever and feeling tired, said Professor Leo Yee Sin, executive director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).