The difference between the flu, coronavirus or a cold and knowing which one you have

Everyone seems to be sick. At the last few family gatherings, the weird people have been people who don’t have one or just have one. Respiratory tract infections are on the rise and health centers are taking notice.

Flu and colds have joined the coronavirus ranks, and you can easily become infected with any of these three illnesses.

Confusion is normal because Influenza virus (flu), Rhinovirus (cold) and SARS-CoV-2 cause disease Affect respiratory tractso they have some common symptoms.

Only Covid has tests, pharmacy testit will tell you what you are suffering from, but even if you identify it, you can only do whatever type of virus affects you, Try to reduce symptoms Get through it in a less annoying way, yeah Protect those around you from possible infection use mask When you are a virus carrier.

Symptoms alone are enough It’s hard to distinguish one thing from another But this can help you see it more clearly.

What symptoms do the flu and Covid-19 share?

These two pathologies have several very typical characteristics:

• fever.
• cough.
• Muscle pain and fatigue.
• sore throat.
• Headache.
• Difficulty breathing.
• nasal congestion.

What are the signs of COVID-19?

Coronavirus symptoms change over time as variants emerge. If loss of the sense of smell was the most common phenomenon not so long ago, now it does not happen to everyone affected. On the other hand, severe sore throats are becoming more common these days.

• Headache It has little effect with paracetamol or ibuprofen. It usually lasts for a day or two and then decreases in intensity.
• Sore throat and hoarseness. First there was a sore throat, then a severe loss of voice that lasted for several days.
• Loss of taste and smell. It can happen to some people.
• severe difficulty breathing. While the flu can also cause this symptom, in the case of Covid-19 it can evolve quickly. In fact, the World Health Organization warns that people who develop cough, fever, difficulty breathing and chest tightness should seek medical attention immediately.
• conjunctivitis. This symptom is largely ignored, but in some mild cases it can be the first sign of the coronavirus.

The order of symptoms also provides clues

Other data that can help differentiate between influenza and Covid-19 is order of onset of symptoms According to a study published in Frontiers in Public Health, both diseases have something in common.

• in this case Coronavirus diseasethe first symptom is usually Cough after fever. Then throat, headache, or muscle pain develops.
• in influenzathe first symptom may be cough or muscle pain. These two symptoms are followed by headache, sore throat and fever.

It doesn’t always happen this way, but there is a certain pattern among these symptoms.

What should I do if I get cold?

People with a cold may experience the following symptoms:

• severe nasal congestion. There may be some, albeit to a lesser extent, in Covid-19 and influenza.
• sneeze. This is another typical cold symptom that is not typical of other infections.
• cough. This is a sign shared by the flu and Covid-19, although in a cold the cough is phlegmatic (with mucus)
• No fever or low grade fever.

No muscle aches, headaches or fatigue when you have a cold Flu or Covid-19. A cold is a milder infection.

Infections and complications

Flu, colds and COVID-19 are spread through: Droplets and particles expelled when coughing, sneezing or talking

; Direct contact with people or infected surfaces.

Although the transmission routes are similar, Cold rhinovirus is highly contagious. The same thing happens with SARS-CoV-2, but the illness it causes is much more serious than a simple cold. The flu is contagious, but not highly contagious.

As for complications, they are well known.

• Got a cold It has no major consequences.
• Flu affects throat, bronchi and rarely enters the lungs.
• coronavirus Can be seriously attacked Respiratory system causes pneumoniaand also affects the cardiovascular system due to its high promoting capacity Thrombosis.