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All data available on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) at the moment are preliminary and will be confirmed in a few months, Narina Sargsyants, an infectious disease specialist and the Health Ministry’s advisor on infectious diseases, told Panorama.am in an interview earlier in Mach in response to the question whether itchy tongue or eyes can be coronavirus symptoms.

Citizens are really curious about this disease, very often trying to find answers to their questions in foreign sources, while the health authorities have repeatedly urged people to follow only the state and international organizations dealing with the prevention of the infection.

Panorama.am again contacted Narina Sargsyants to find out whether the virus has different symptoms if transmitted through so called ‘first-hand’ or ‘third-hand’ contacts.

Panorama.am: Does it matter if coronavirus is transmitted though contacts with an initial case or not? Does it cause different disease symptoms or is the intensity and development of the disease individual?

Narina Sargsyants: No, it makes no difference. The disease develops individually for each person.

Panorama.am: Does the pneumonia caused by coronavirus require a new name, or does it develop the same symptoms?

Narina Sargsyants: Complaints are standard: high fever, cough: dry cough is more common in this case, although the virus does not necessarily cause dry cough, productive cough is also possible. An X-ray screening will show the rest. It’s not that the coronavirus-caused pneumonia has any clinical features. Other symptoms are already detected through an X-ray screening and a general blood test. There are some changes that are more characteristic of coronavirus.