Since the pandemic came, most of the world’s services have to operate with limited steps considering the health protocols.
Being under the lockdowns makes you hesitant to admit not feeling well because of the fear to be suspected of contracting the virus. Most of the health facilities today are filled by COVID-19 patients, leaving most of us uncertain about what steps to take to address the sickness we are feeling.
The similarity of Flu and COVID-19
People have been mixed up with what the flu and the novel coronavirus are. To deeply understand these two respiratory diseases, let me walk you through their similarities.
Usually, when you have the flu, you might also feel some symptoms that are present to COVID-19 positive patients. This includes fever, cough, difficult breathing, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, body pain, headache and vomiting. The symptoms might range from no symptoms to severe ones.
Both of these can spread from person to person. You can be infected through droplets with someone who has the disease within 6 feet close contact. Droplets can land in mouths, noses, and possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
These illnesses might result in complicated health conditions. If you are an older adult, a person with underlying medical conditions or a pregnant woman; you must take care of yourself to be away from these.
If you have the flu or tested positive with COVID-19, you are possibly to catch pneumonia; respiratory failure; cardiac injury; multiple-organ failure; chronic medical conditions; inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle tissues; and secondary bacterial infections.
People with high-risk complications of these illnesses should be treated or supported with medical care. Taking a jab of vaccine is the best answer to be treated for these illnesses but must be approved for use by the FDA.
Flu
It is an illness that attacks your respiratory system that penetrates your nose, throat and lungs. Flu travels through the air in the form of droplets. You get infected when you inhale droplets through someone infected as they cough, talk or sneeze. You might get it as well indirectly when you use a telephone or keyboard that possibly transfer droplets into your mouth, eyes or nose.
If you are an adult, try to see a doctor and have a shot of the antiviral drug to prevent complicated results in the future. Symptoms of flu are the following: shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, seizures, worsening medical conditions and severe muscle pain.
Bring your child to a doctor as soon as possible when you see that his or her lips turned blue, experience dehydration, and alike symptoms that are aforementioned.
Here are some of the risk factors that you should consider to be away from the threat of flu: weak immune system, chronic illnesses, aspirin use under the age of 19, pregnancy and obesity.
If your flu persists to show symptoms or is not being treated by a doctor, you might develop these complications: pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma flare-ups, heart problems, ear infections and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
While it is not too late, check with an online doctor. Flu is one of the illnesses that can be addressed by an online doctor.
COVID-19
Causing mild illnesses like the common cold, the novel coronavirus is the new type of unidentified virus in past years. Other names of the said virus are: ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ and ‘2019-nCoV’ before the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it as COVID-19 on February 11, 2020.
First identified in Wuhan, China; the virus spreads through respiratory droplets or small particles when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks or breathes.
Some myths are circulating online about the novel coronavirus. One of them is the possibility of warm weather to stop the outbreak of COVID-19. There have been no findings from the studies conducted about the virus and the investigation of COVID-19 is still ongoing.
Three things that we are putting in practice now are wearing your masks, washing hands, and social or physical distancing.
Wearing masks protects you from being infected by those you are having close contact with, especially those who are not aware that they are virus carriers.
Since the virus can be contracted through close contact, social or physical distancing is observed.
Also, hygiene matters. If we make our daily routines clean and hygienic, we can make ourselves away from the virus.
The Difference between Flu and COVID-19
I know that you are still confused about how to set flu and COVID-19 apart from each other, so I’ll give you some points on how they became different types of illnesses.
Flu can range from mild to severe symptoms as mentioned in the earlier part while COVID-19 includes loss of taste or smell.
Flu symptoms can be seen within the first to fourth days after the infection. On the other hand, the novel coronavirus may take longer to show symptoms. There are instances of two days after infection and there are times as late as 14 days after the infection. It is usually found to show symptoms within the first five days after the infection. Thus, we are having a 14-day quarantine period.
If you have COVID-19, you are contagious for a longer time compared to having the flu.
The novel coronavirus spread to certain populations and age groups. Compared to the flu, it spreads faster as time progresses.
If you have flu you can recover in two weeks and might develop other complications but having COVID-19 develops blood clots in the veins and arteries of the lungs, heart, brain or legs.
Influenza vaccines are produced to protect patients against three to four viruses scientists anticipated to appear within a year. Some of the COVID-19 vaccines are available for use now and some of them are still under development.
I hope this guide helps you in understanding the flu and COVID-19.
Never let yourself, family and community be infected by both. They are spreading at the same time. You can check your current medical condition online. Know your status with an online doctor Canada.
