Many examples have emerged where Covid-19 was misunderstood as the common cold.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Health experts are still monitoring the omicron variant of the Covid-19 infection. The public is asked not to be careless and continue to obey health protocols, such as wearing masks, maintaining hand hygiene, and getting the third dose of vaccination or booster to prevent the spread of the corona virus.
But recently, many examples have emerged where Covid-19 was misunderstood and judged to be like the common cold and flu flu normal. Many people are hesitant to get tested for Covid-19 and continue to live with the assumption that they are experiencing just a cold or the common cold.
This makes it possible for them to recover from a viral attack, but in the process they are more likely to pass the virus on to other people and there is a possibility that the condition can have a negative effect on others. Therefore, it is very important to understand the difference between Covid-19 and flu. If there is even the slightest doubt, one should be tested for the coronavirus.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you can’t tell the difference between the flu and Covid-19 just by looking at the symptoms because they share some of the same symptoms. That’s why testing is needed to find out what the disease is and to confirm the diagnosis.
“Testing is also important because it can reveal whether a person has the flu and Covid-19 at the same time,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement. Times of India.
As noted above, both are caused by viruses, and share a similar set of symptoms. So it is difficult to tell just from the symptoms, whether the patient has Covid-19 or the flu.
There are some common symptoms of COVID-19 and flu, including feeling feverish or chills, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, and sore throat. Then, runny nose or stuffy nose, muscle aches or body aches, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and changes in or loss of sense of taste or smell.
However, there are some differences in symptoms that make Covid and the flu different. Various Covid-19 symptoms depending on how the host’s immunity reacts to the pathogen. However, a number of very typical symptoms of this virus are fever, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
In many cases, headache, pain, rash on the skin, discoloration of the fingers or toes, red or irritated eyes, and diarrhea were also observed in patients after a coronavirus attack. In severe cases, Covid-19 can also affect the performance of the lungs, stomach, and cognitive health of individuals.
In addition, there is one striking difference between the occurrence of Covid-19 and the common cold. Experts at MayoClinic say, “Covid-19 and flu symptoms appear at different times and have some differences. Symptoms of Covid-19 generally appear 2-14 days after exposure. Flu symptoms usually appear about 1-4 days after exposure, “he said.
Experts also say that in the case of Covid-19, patients always have a fever. Meanwhile, in the case of the flu, not all of them are like that. “Fever in the flu occurs, but not always,” they say.
Furthermore, in the case of Covid-19, especially when varian delta rampant, people experience a loss of sense of smell and sense of taste. These symptoms are rarely seen in the flu.
People infected with variant omicron didn’t have that condition either. Loss of smell and taste has been observed during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this is being used as one of the symptoms that distinguish it from the flu.
Meanwhile, stomach problems, such as diarrhea associated with Covid-19, occurred in the majority of adults. Whereas in cases of flu, the majority is seen in children. The same goes for nausea or vomiting.
Director of Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness (GIH), WHO Emergency Preparedness (WPE), at the World Health Organization (WHO), dr Slyvie Briand, said flu is very common, especially in (certain) seasons. Usually, flu symptoms are not only fever, headache, muscle aches, but also upper respiratory tract symptoms, such as sneezing and coughing.
“For Covid-19, the symptoms are basically the same, but apart from that they also have specific symptoms, such as anosmia, which is a lack of smell and ageusia, which is a lack of taste. Many people, especially young people, have experienced additional and specific symptoms for Covid-19, ” he said.
The US CDC says that compared to the flu, Covid-19 can cause more serious illness in some people. Covid-19 can also take longer before people show symptoms, and people can remain infectious for a longer period of time.
In addition, flu sufferers transmit the virus about a day after showing symptoms, but Covid-19 sufferer can spread the virus even before and in some cases without showing any symptoms. Studies have found that people who infected with Covid-19 can spread the virus within eight days of showing symptoms.
The public is advised to keep wearing masks, keep a distance from infected people, keep hands clean, carry out vaccinations and injections booster. Then, following the guidelines issued by the government and authorities is considered sufficient to prevent the spread of the corona virus.
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