Flu and coronavirus both cause respiratory illness; it is essential to know how these two viruses are spread.
Covid-19 and influenza virus have the same clinical presentation. Many of the symptoms remain asymptomatic, and many of them can be mild to severe, leading to disability and death.
These two viruses are transmitted through droplet infection, fomites and contact. For public concern, should follow hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, and appropriate covid behavior to prevent infection.
Table of Contents
Causes
Both the flu and COVID-19 are viral infections.
Viruses are small microscopic organisms that survive by invading living cells. They can then spread to new cells around your body.
Corona viruses are a family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. The SARS-CoV-2 causes the infection that leads to COVID-19.
There are 2 types of viruses that cause the flu — influenza A and B. There are several subtypes of influenza A. Any of these viruses can cause the flu.
Symptoms
The symptoms of the flu and COVID-19 have some differences.
People who have the flu will experience symptoms within 1 or 4 days. The symptoms for COVID-19 can develop between 1 to 14 days. According to 2020 research, the median incubation period for COVID-19 is 5 days.
As a point of comparison, the incubation period for a cold is 1 to 3 days.
The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in both adults and children. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children present with fever, cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose and a cough.
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Does The Flu Shot Work?
The flu shot is a vaccine that can defend against influenza. Producing the first influenza vaccines in the late 1930s and 1940s. Today, making the flu shot is a year-round process.
Yes. The flu shot is the powerful defense we have against flu. According to the Centers for Diseases, the flu vaccine prevented an expected 4 million flu illnesses and 3,000 deaths in the 2019 flu season. The flu shot also had 60,000 people out of the hospital in that period.
Severity and mortality
The symptoms of COVID-19 and flu can range from mild to severe. Both can cause pneumonia.
It is important to note that the World Health Organization have classified mild symptoms of COVID-19 to mean that a person will not require hospitalization. The WHO classifies mild cases to consist of symptoms including:
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Cough
- Headache
- Chills
- Muscle pain
According to the WHO, around 10% to 15% of COVID-19 cases are severe, and 5% are critical. Those in a critical state require a ventilator to breathe. The chance of critical infection is higher with COVID-19 than the flu.
COVID-19 is more deadly. According to the WHO, the mortality rate for COVID appears to be higher than that of the flu.
Treatment
As flu has been around longer than COVID-19, there are also some treatment options.
People with the flu do not require medical treatment. But a doctor prescribes antiviral drugs in some cases, which can reduce the symptoms by 1 to 2 days.
These antiviral drugs help your body to fight the virus. They treat symptoms and reduce how long the illness lasts.
For some cases, a person should remain home and undertake social distancing. Healthcare professionals also prescribe antipyretics to reduce the fever.
For severe cases, a person requires supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation on a breathing machine to treat the respiratory problems that may occur.
Prevention
The best way of preventing the flu is through vaccination.
Many strains of influenza can cause infection. The common strains vary depending on the season.
Doctors will try to predict what strains will be common each season to select the right vaccine components.
The way to prevent spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus includes:
- Working from home if possible for you
- Avoiding crowds
- Washing your hands regularly
- Avoiding touching your face
- Keeping at least 6 ft away from anyone coughing and sneezing
- Covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing
Summary
COVID-19 and flu share similar symptoms. The symptoms of flu tend to occur faster and greater variation. But COVID-19 is to lead to severe illness or death.
Both flu and COVID-19 viruses spread via person to person contact. Flu spreads faster and affects children.
The way to prevent COVID-19 is to practice social distancing, which means avoiding non-essential social contact or travel. It is important to maintain good personal and domestic hygiene by washing your hands regularly and keeping surfaces and utensils clean.
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