The department of guardianship and health protection reminded the Blagoveshchensmen that against the background of the spread of coronavirus, one should not forget about the flu, according to the website of the Blagoveshchensk administration.
Experts answered questions about how viruses are similar and different, about risk groups. So they said that influenza viruses and the new coronavirus are similar: similar symptoms, transmission of infection by airborne droplets or through contact. Both the first and the second can be protected by simple rules of prevention – wearing medical masks, washing hands, social distance.
An important difference between viruses is transmission speed. Influenza can spread faster than COVID-19. If the incubation period of influenza is approximately 3 days, and is transmitted in the first 3-5 days of the illness before the onset of symptoms, then with the coronavirus, symptoms appear after 5-6 days and people can spread it 24-48 hours before the onset of the disease.
It is estimated that the number of secondary infections caused by one infected person for the COVID-19 virus is between 2 and 2.5, and this is higher than for influenza. Also, the latest data on coronavirus indicate that 80% of infections are asymptomatic or easy, 15% require the use of oxygen, 5% require mechanical ventilation. At the same time, the proportion of severe and critical cases is higher than with the flu.
Among those who are more likely to have severe influenza, children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with chronic diseases are isolated, and with COVID-19, the risk of severe infection is increased by old age and concomitant diseases.
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