With close to 19 million cases around the globe, it has been established that the novel coronavirus can impact the whole body, from head to toe, in unpredictable and never-seen-before ways. A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine points to a novel symptom of COVID-19, which may be considered the first sign of the disease: persistent hiccups.

In the study, doctors from Cook County Health, USA elaborated the case report of a 62-year-old man, who went to the emergency department of the hospital after suffering from persistent hiccups for four days. Persistent hiccups are also known as hiccoughs. The patient did not have any history of lung illness and had lost roughly around 11 kilos in the past four months, without even trying.