Rospotrebnadzor spoke about the main differences between the symptoms of COVID-19, colds and flu
Rospotrebnadzor spoke about the main differences between the symptoms of COVID-19, colds and flu
Rospotrebnadzor spoke about the main main differences between the symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19, colds and flu
How COVID-19 and influenza viruses are similar
COVID-19 and influenza viruses have a similar disease pattern. They both cause respiratory illness, which is a wide range of disease variants, from asymptomatic or mild to severe illness and death.
Both viruses are transmitted by contact, by airborne droplets and through fomites. Therefore, do not forget about the simple rules of prevention: use a mask, observe hand hygiene and social distance.
How COVID-19 and influenza viruses differ
An important difference between the two viruses is transmission speed.
Influenza has a shorter average incubation period (time from infection to symptom onset) and a shorter serial interval (time between successive cases) than COVID-19 virus. The serial interval for COVID-19 virus is estimated at 5-6 days, while for influenza virus, the serial interval is 3 days. This means the flu can spread faster than COVID-19.
In addition, transmission in the first 3-5 days of illness, or potentially pre-symptomatic transmission – transmission of the virus before symptoms appear – is the main cause of influenza transmission. In contrast, it is known that there are people who can spread the COVID-19 virus 24-48 hours before the onset of symptoms, which currently does not appear to be the main cause of transmission.
The reproductive rate – the number of secondary infections caused by one infected person – is estimated to be between 2 and 2.5 for the COVID-19 virus, higher than for influenza. However, estimates made for COVID-19 and influenza are highly contextual and time-dependent, making direct comparisons difficult.
The two viruses share a similar spectrum of symptoms, with the proportion of severe cases likely to differ. For COVID-19, data to date suggest that 80% of infections are mild or asymptomatic, 15% are severe, requiring oxygenation, and 5% are critical, requiring ventilation. The proportion of severe and critical cases is higher than those seen for influenza.
Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses and immunodeficiencies are most at risk of severe influenza infection. With regard to COVID-19, older age and underlying medical conditions are known to increase the risk of severe infection.
Information prepared on the basis of WHO materials posted on website.
