Flu and COVID-19: differences and symptoms

The flu is just around the corner and is expected to coexist fully with cases of COVID-19 and the usual colds. Although we already know many symptoms of both viral infections... do we know what their differences are? We explain it in today’s post.In these two respiratory diseases, there are symptoms that overlap, such as fever, myalgia and cough. But...What differences are there between COVID-19 and flu?

COVID-19: symptoms and differences from flu

In the case of COVID-19, a high percentage of patients have lost their sense of smell and taste, although it is not a determining symptom for establishing the connection. In flu, meanwhile, the most notable symptoms are sneezing, nasal congestion and watery nasal discharge. Usually, after about 3 days the mucus becomes thicker and tends to change colour. After those first 3 days, the symptoms usually start disappearing over the following days. In total, the estimated duration of this illness is usually around 1 week. The use of products such as Rhinomer Force is recommended to help decongest the nose and therefore prevent sinusitis from worsening. Returning to the main symptoms of Coronavirus, these include the appearance of fever, malaise, dry cough and sometimes difficulty breathing. At present, there is no specific treatment against this viral infection. Our recommendation is that, if you have symptoms, without leaving home, you contact your doctor so they can help you with the diagnosis. However, between COVID-19 and flu, there are a number of similarities; the difference lies in the intensity, especially in relation to muscle aches; the whole body is knocked out. Fever rises higher than with flu, and the cough is dry and persistent, which is why it irritates the lung tissue. Nausea may also appear, and diarrhoea is common among adults. In addition, there are very clear and common symptoms, such as the loss of smell and altered taste, which may involve not perceiving flavours or noticing them as excessively salty. The use of a face mask and intensive hand hygiene, as a prevention and safety measure against Coronavirus, could be decisive in reducing the impact of flu this autumn and winter. To this end, the WHO has also requested that pneumococcal, flu and whooping cough vaccination programmes be reinforced for adults or people classified as at risk due to previous conditions.