The speed of transmission of the coronavirus intensifies throughout the national territory at the gates of Christmas, while Omicron begins to show its face and knock on the same doors around the world map. This, together with the drop in temperatures, which increase the transmissibility of viruses and respiratory bacteria , once again habitually portrays the incidence of seasonal diseases. Flu, cold and Covid are part of the run run of the conversations during these months.
They all share transmission routes.ny can cause a wide range of symptoms, from asymptomatic or mild infections to severe illness and death. The problem this year lies in how to differentiate them. Their presence is manifesting together, something that is and complicates the diagnostic work because they all share very similar clinical pictures.The absence of restrictions , compared to the previous parties, the normalization of social life and the end of the mandatory use of masks in open spaces, once again exposes the population to an annual threat that weakens the immune system and has notable effects. .
In fact, the WHO recommends again the advancement of the flu campaign with respect to the usual dates of the years prior to the pandemic. In addition, it is recommended to inoculate the flu vaccine and the third dose of covid at the same time . But, what are the symptoms of each one
and, above all, what differentiates them
Symptoms and differences
In general, fever, cough and loss of smell/taste are common symptoms in the flu and in COVID-19 . However, fatigue, sore throat, headache, and muscle pain seem to occur less frequently in COVID-19 than in the flu. Respiratory distress also appears to be more frequent in COVID-19.
In the case of colds, the symptoms are usually more ephemeral and isolated : Sneezing, a little headache, a few tenths of fever, runny nose… ; It does not usually cause a high fever or muscle pain, as it usually happens with Covid or the flu. Mainly, it affects the upper respiratory system.Fever, diarrhea, and nausea or vomiting are also often distinctive symptoms of coronavirus versus the common cold.
In addition, the sore throat is often accompanied by itching and tingling in the case of the coronavirus. Likewise, the cough, despite sharing it, is usually dry in Covid cases. In that sense, we can also find differences in the incubation periods.While symptoms of COVID-19 typically appear two to 14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2, symptoms of a common cold typically appear one to three days after exposure to a virus that causes the virus. cold.
Much more risky is to differentiate the flu from Covid by its symptoms , because evolution is what allows it to be seen since the symptoms tend to intensify in the case of the second. There is more fever, deep feeling of weakness, productive cough and in many cases, diarrhea. Likewise, the coronavirus usually generates more respiratory difficulties and complications that can lead to pneumonia.
Striking symptoms such as loss of smell and altered sense of taste are usually typical of covid-19 infection, although the clearest indication in the first days of the pandemic may not occur with the new variants and is rare. frequent with Omicron . The most common symptoms of this last variant, taking into account the cases that have been reported, are cough, fatigue and nasal congestion or runny nose, in addition to some gastrointestinal problems.
