CDC Adds New Symptoms of Coronavirus

Health systems prepare for an increase in testing due to the CDC adding additional symptoms to be suspect of the coronavirus.

Customers feel safe.

New at six -- we're learning more about coronavirus symptoms!

The centers for disease control and prevention now lists a runny nose ... congestion ... nausea and diarrhea as 4 new coronavirus symptoms to look out for.

One north alabama doctor says the added symptoms could result in more people going to get tested.

Waay 31's ashley carter joins us live.

She spoke with a doctor who says health systems across the state are working to prepare for the increase in testing.

Ashley?

Here at john hunt park - they've hit their 300 person testing limit almost every day.

Now that there are even more symptoms to look out for - a huntsville hospital doctor i talked to said they're keeping new symptoms in mind and prepping for more testing.

Dr. prithvi kukkadapu, director of critical care services huntsville hospital: "we are actually preparing ahead so we can have as many tests available to test more people."

Doctor prit-vi coo-coo-dah-poo is the director of critical care services for huntsville hospital.

He says huntsville hospital....like many health care systems across the state have been testing more people in the last two weeks.

But he says they've all been working to get as many tests as possible so they won't end up running out but even with the extra preparation - it's still a possibility they could dr. prithvi kukkadapu, director of critical care services huntsville hospital: "at some point, i think we will run into a situation where we won't have enough testing kits."

Doctor coo-coo dah-poo says they and other health care systems are trying to avoid this...because it's important they have enough kits to test people with or without symptoms he says the centers for disease control's additional symptoms shouldn't make people feel paranoid - or feel like they need to be tested because of a runny nose.

But - he wants to make sure testing is available in all cases - whether people have severe symptoms or none at all.

Dr. prithvi kukkadapu, director of critical care services huntsville hospital: "the key again is you test more people, find out more of those asymptomatic patients then you isolate them.

And we are preparing every day and as we speak every week to get more and more testing."

Doctor coo-occo-dah-poo says the best time to go in get tested is you you are experiencing one or more of the symptoms over a long period of time...or if you've been exposed to someone who tested positive....but he says before you get tested also consider some symptoms could be because you have allergies or the common cold.

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