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Although the symptoms are similar, there are also differences: Here’s a little help if you do fall ill.
In Austria, there are currently only isolated infections with influenza viruses. However, apart from Corona now, more people are affected by respiratory infections than in previous years at this time of year.
Experts are already seeing signs that a severe wave of influenza could be imminent, especially for the elderly.
Austrian microbiologist Peter Palese and flu researcher advises in the NY Times, “Pay attention to what infectious diseases are rampant in your community, workplace or neighborhood. If the flu wave has already started and the symptoms fit, there’s a good chance it’s influenza. If there is a high 7-day incidence in your community – as is currently the case in most Austrian communities – and there have been no flu cases yet, it is Covid-19.
In Covid-19, the most common symptoms are fever, cough, fatigue, and loss of sense of taste or smell. Less common symptoms include sore throat, headache, aching limbs, diarrhea, discoloration on fingers or toes, or skin rash, eye redness or irritation.
With the flu, you do not have rashes, redness or loss of taste. In addition to fever, which can rise high very suddenly, you have headache and aching limbs.
With colds, you do not have diarrhea or shortness of breath. Fever or headache are rare.
Flu and covid-19 also differ in their course: flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. Patients feel very ill within a few hours and often develop a high fever. Infection with Sars-Cov2 shows a mild course over several days and increases in intensity.
What do the symptoms look like in children?
It is not at all easy to distinguish Covid-19 symptoms in children from other infections on a purely clinical basis. If children have a cough or runny nose but are very active and lively, they are more likely to have colds or Covid-19, not the flu. Covid-19 often runs a mild course in children: strikingly, children and adolescents with Covid-19 often suffer from only a single symptom. Gastrointestinal involvement occurs more often than in adults.
Stay home, minimize contact with others, and contact the health phone or your primary care provider if you have symptoms.
Call 1450 (no area code from all networks) to receive referrals over the phone from health care professionals. If you have severe symptoms, contact a physician immediately. In any case, call the doctor’s office or medical facility before you see them.
How to treat my illness
If you should have the flu, drink lots and lots of fluids, take fever-reducing medicine if needed, and stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever subsides.
Treatment for a simple covid-19 course is based on your symptoms: fever-reducing agents, decongestant nasal sprays, medications for sore throat, etc Surviving infection with Sars-CoV-2 does not exempt you from adhering to protective measures such as quarantine. Adherence is particularly important because it is the only way to quickly break chains of infection.
For a simple course of disease with covid-19 (without need for oxygen), quarantine ends no earlier than 14 days after symptom onset (or PCR test) and at least 48 hours of symptom freedom. Or no sooner than 14 days after symptom onset (or PCR test) AND negative PCR test or CT score greater than 30.
Loss of sense of smell or taste may persist beyond the infectious phase in some individuals.
- source: kurier.at/picture:pixabay.com
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