What are the essential differences between COVID-19 and flu ? Flu is an acute viral respiratory infection , transmitted by the influenza virus . There are three types of influenza , namely Influenza A , B and C . Influenza C is less common and produces milder disease . WHO says there are important differences between the two viruses and how they spread . This has implications for the public health measures that can be implemented to respond to each virus .
The two are essentially different viruses with SARS-CoV-2 being a newly discovered coronavirus that causes COVID-19 .
The speed of transmission This is an important point of difference between flu and the coronavirus . Influenza has a shorter incubation period and can spread faster than COVID-19 . Further , transmission in the first 3-5 days of illness , or potentially presymptomatic transmission , is a major driver for the spread of flu . Although with COVID-19 , people can be infected by someone 24-48 hours before the onset of symptoms – this is not the major driver of transmission .
The severity of illness While the range of symptoms for the two viruses is similar , the fraction with severe disease appears to be different . For COVID-19 , data to date suggests that 80 % of infections are mild or asymptomatic , 15 % are severe , requiring oxygen and 5 % are critical infections , requiring ventilation . These fractions of severe and critical infection would be higher than that of flu .
Who is at risk ? The Department of Health ( DoH ) together with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases ( NICD ) targeted the following groups for the 2021 campaign :
• Healthcare workers
• Individuals over the age of 65 year
• People with comorbidities like heart disease , diabetes or lung disease
• Pregnant women
• People living with HIV and AIDS
What are the signs and symptoms ? COVID-19 and flu can have varying degrees of signs and symptoms , ranging from none ( asymptomatic ) to severe symptoms . Common shared include : Fever or feeling feverish / chills , cough , shortness of breath or difficulty breathing , fatigue , sore throat , runny or stuffy nose , muscle pain or body aches and headaches . Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea , though this is more common in children than adults .
Other signs and symptoms of COVID-19 , different from flu , may include change in or loss of taste or smell . A COVID-19 test will confirm the diagnosis .
“ This is an important point of difference between flu and the coronavirus . Influenza has a shorter incubation period and can spread faster than COVID-19 .”
Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 2 | 2021
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