The world is currently in the grip of COVID-19, yet many of them think that it is nothing but the regular flu. Despite several warnings from WHO, Government of India, medical experts, the international community, Coronavirus is not still being taken seriously and the infection is turning contagious at a faster pace.
In this article, we will tell you why Coronavirus and Flu are as different as chalk and cheese and why shouldn’t ignore COVID-19. Though it was established a long time back that COVID-19 is caused due to a novel strain, the virus was recently given a new name SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus while COVID-19 is the condition, which has claimed 16,515 lives till date infecting more than 3,80,000 people across the globe. Also Read: Coronavirus: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
To put it more elaborately, there are four strains of coronavirus, some strains are quite common and exhibit mild symptoms like the common cold, however the SARS-CoV-2 results in severe illness in older people, individuals with comorbid disease conditions and compromised immune system. Currently, there is no structured treatment or vaccine developed for COVID-19 which is quite alarming and making it a Pandemic.
Coronavirus disease and flu are both respiratory illness spreading from person to person, however, there is some difference between symptoms of flu and COVID-19.
Individuals with flu may experience symptoms within 1-4 days and for cold is 1-3 days, whereas with the coronavirus symptoms develop between 1-14 days. According to the recent study published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, the median incubation period for COVID-19 is 5.1 days. The general symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar in both children and adults, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disclosed that children usually present with fever and mild cold-like symptoms, like runny nose and a cough.
The below table typically outlines the symptoms of COVID-19, the flu and a cold.
Symptoms To Look For In COVID-19, Flu And Cold:
| Symptoms | COVID-19 (range from mild- severe) | Cold ( gradual onset of symptoms) | Flu( abrupt onset of symptoms) |
| Fever | Common | Rare | Common |
| Fatigue | Sometimes | Sometimes | Common |
| Cough | Common*(usually dry) | Mild | Common*(usually dry) |
| Sneezing | No | Common | No |
| Aches and Pain | Sometimes | Common | Common |
| Runny or stuffy nose | Rare | Common | Sometimes |
| Sore throat | Sometimes | Common | Sometimes |
| Diarrhoea | Rare | No | Sometimes for Children |
| Headaches | Sometimes | Rare | Common |
| Shortness of breath | Sometimes | No | No |
*Source As Per The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centre For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC)
Nature Of the Disease:
The symptoms of coronavirus and flu range from mild to severe and both can also result in pneumonia in severe forms. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person with mild symptoms of COVID-19 may not need hospitalization, however, he or she should be at home and isolate themselves. The WHO classify mild cases of coronavirus exhibits the below symptoms including:
Cough
Fatigue
Poor appetite
Nasal congestion
Headache
Reports from WHO disclosed that about 15% of coronavirus cases are severe and 5 % cases are critical and those in the critical state would need ventilator support to breathe. COVID -19 is a deadly disease and the mortality rate is higher when compared to flu.
How Do COVID-19 And Flu Spread?
Coronavirus and flu can spread through person to person contact. Tiny air droplets containing the viruses can pass from an infected person to others through the nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing. Also Check Out: Coronavirus: All You Need To Know About This deadly Virus - Infographic
The viruses also survive on the surfaces. An individual can spread the coronavirus to people who are 6 feet away and the WHO recommends people to stay at least 6 feet away from anyone coughing or sneezing to avert the spread of the COVID-19 infection. The WHO also indicates that one with flu can transmit the virus on before they show any symptoms whereas the individual with coronavirus can spread the infection even if they have no symptoms.
Treatment For COVID-19 And Flu:
Flu can be effectively treated by the doctors with antiviral drugs and the symptoms may subside within 1-2 days.
There are currently no approved drugs to treat COVID-19, however, scientist across the globe are researching extensively and undergoing drugs trails. Home quarantine, isolation and social distancing are the precautionary measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Prevention:
Flu can be prevented by vaccination, while currently, no vaccine is available for COVID-19 infection, as the virus is a new strain and scientist are working on it and it make take some time to develop vaccines.
Follow the below precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus:
Wash hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with 60%alcohol.
Avoid touching your eye, nose and face.
Maintain at least 6 feet distance from people with cough or cold
Cover nose and mouth with tissue paper while sneezing or coughing
Stay at home if unwell
Work from home if possible and avoid social gathering of any size.
Disinfect and clean the surfaces at home that you frequently touch.
Source: World Health Organization
