Rospotrebnadzor told how to distinguish flu from coronavirus

The regional Office of Rospotrebnadzor told how to distinguish between the symptoms of influenza and a new coronavirus infection in a pandemic.

These two diseases have a similar pattern of manifestation – both cause respiratory illness with different course of the disease – from mild, asymptomatic to severe and even fatal. Fever, cough, weakness, fatigue, runny nose, joint pain, sore throat, headache, diarrhea. The only question is how often this or that symptom occurs with each disease. Both influenza and COVID-19 are transmitted by contact, airborne droplets and through contaminated objects.

Disease differences to look out for:

• Incubation period: flu – an average of 3 days, coronavirus – 5-6 days.
• Spread: influenza is transmitted faster than COVID-19 before symptoms appear.
• Temperature: flu – sharply high, above 38, coronavirus – from 37.3 degrees and above.
• Cough: flu – often a dry cough, coronavirus – a dry cough in attacks, sometimes lasting up to an hour.
• Loss of smell: flu – with nasal congestion, coronavirus is a distinctive symptom: loss of taste and smell without a runny nose.
• Breathing disorder: flu – no, coronavirus in severe disease.
• Headache: flu – very often, coronavirus – sometimes.
• Age: flu – all categories of citizens, coronavirus – children least of all.

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