Cough, runny nose, sore throat – many people complain of cold symptoms in the winter months. But there is not always a corona infection behind it. Four pathogens are currently spreading, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) now explains in its new weekly report. they are therefore predominant
- The flu virus
- Respiratory Synzytialviren (RSV)
- Rhinoviren And
- SARS-CoV-2.
We explain how pathogens differ.
The flu virus
Influenza viruses cause the flu.
Symptoms: While the symptoms of a cold are similar to those of a corona infection, there are major differences from those of a flu infection. According to the BZgA, the flu (flu) manifests itself
- often for one sudden onset of illness with fever how
- headache and/or body aches And
- through a distinct feeling of illness.
The following symptoms may also occur:
- dry, tickly cough
- general weakness
- sweat And
- Sniffle.
Signs of disease such as
- nausea
- He retched And
- Diarrhea.
Incubation period: According to the RKI, the incubation period is short and is only average a day or two.
Duration and contagion: The duration of the disease is usually five to seven days, the RKI explains further. In patients with a severe course of the disease, however, deterioration often occurs from three to ten days after the onset of symptoms. Older people are particularly affected. According to the BzgA, flu patients are contagious up to a week after the first signs of the disease appear.
Respiratory Synzytialvirus (RS Virus)
Respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) are among the most important causative agents of respiratory infections in newborns, especially in preterm infants and young children RKI extension.
Symptoms: In terms of symptoms, RSV infections are similar to the flu. In infants, however, it can manifest as a
- Bronchiolitis (respiratory infection most common in newborns)
- Pneumonia or
- Tracheobronchitis (simultaneous inflammation of the mucous membranes of the trachea and the air-conducting parts of the lungs)
to express.
About five percent also develop whooping cough-like symptoms. Fever is also common.
Incubation period: The incubation period is from two to eight days (an average of five days).
Duration and contagion: “RSV-infected people may only be contagious one day after infection and before symptoms appear,” writes the RKI. The duration of the infection is usually three to eight days and usually resolves within a week in immunocompetent patients. However, premature babies, newborns, immunodeficient or immunosuppressed patients could shed the virus for several weeks, in single cases for months.
Rhinoviren
Rhinoviruses are the most common cause of colds.
Symptoms: The BZgA names mainly the classic symptoms of a cold
- Sniffle
- Cough And
- Sore throat.
It happens even less often
Incubation period (time from infection to disease onset): Sea Freiburg University Hospital the incubation period can vary greatly, it is between two and 14 days.
Duration and contagion: Colds are usually contagious for about a week.
SARS-CoV-2
Sars-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2) was identified as the cause of Covid-19 in early 2020 and triggered a global pandemic.
Symptoms: The most common symptoms are noisy RKI profile
The RKI also lists shortness of breath, headaches and body aches, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea as other symptoms. According to initial findings, infections with the Omicron variant of the virus are more frequently associated with sore throat and less frequently with loss of taste or smell than Delta infections.
Incubation period: After being infected with the corona virus, it takes on average four to six days until the first signs of the disease develop. Depending on the virus variant, however, this time period can also be shorter. In the Omikron-Variant it is included about 3 days.
Duration and contagion: The main route of transmission of Sars-CoV-2 is inhalation of the particles containing the virus. Sick people emit the particles when they breathe, cough, talk, sing and sneeze. In the current state of knowledge, in the case of mild to moderate disease, the infection regresses within ten days of the onset of symptoms. In case of severe disease progression and patients with immunodeficiency, it can be significantly longer.
Important: Corona cannot be distinguished solely on the basis of symptoms and must be clarified by means of a corona test.
RKI records 7 million respiratory illnesses per week
The RKI has recorded over seven million such and other respiratory illnesses in the last week alone. This number is above the range for pre-pandemic years. About 1.3 million people also consulted a doctor due to a respiratory illness. The most common causes were influenza viruses and RSV, followed by rhinoviruses and Sars-CoV-2.
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