How can you differentiate between a flu and COVID-19?
Novel coronavirus infection and flu have very similar symptoms and are caused by similar kind of viruses. However, what we now know is that coronavirus is much more dangerous for the human body than the flu probably could be.
Awareness and early detection are one of the ways to aid speedy recovery and prevent complications. However, catching a cold, viral infection or flu is just as common as catching COVID-19 right now in the season of viral borne illnesses. Since both of these viral strains carry similar symptoms, experts suggest that COVID-19 could be harder to distinguish at first. A dry cough, considered to be the markable feature of COVID-19 can also happen with allergies. If you live in a polluted area, a dry cough could be triggered by that.
Is your cough and cold a sign of COVID-19?
The fear of catching COVID has terrorized people so much so that the moment you see someone sneezing, or coughing, we assume the worst. But we know, that's not always the case.
Nearly all viral infections raise your body temperature above normal. Newer studies have also linked rising cases of flu and viral infection to the spread of COVID.
This being said, timing and distinguishing your symptoms well could be the key to preventing or treating COVID, early on and protecting yourself from the risk of severe infection. Experts believe that the diagnosis boils down to one simple symptom- your sense of smell.
Do not ignore this symptom!
Like any other coronavirus symptoms, loss of smell and taste, mild or severe should not be taken lightly.
For many patients, since loss of smell or taste can be the only persisting symptom, it can lead you to a clearer diagnosis.
What does this mean?
Anosmia or a sudden loss of taste or smell is a distinctive COVID-19 symptom, rarely seen in other viral infections. Viral load in the upper respiratory tract can trigger a loss of sense of taste in patients and is one of the six ways COVID could affect you.
A widescale JAMA study done in May found that nearly 60% of patients record suffering from a loss of smell as the virus starts the invade the olfactory senses and blocks its vital functioning, temporarily.
Loss of smell can also be evident in patients who have atypical symptoms or are asymptomatic. People experiencing an impaired sense of smell can act as asymptomatic carriers and transmit the disease, which increases the risk of infection.
How is anosmia different in COVID patients?
While a loss of smell is a tell-tale COVID sign, it can also be rarely spotted in people who have an acute case of the flu. However, in cases of COVID-19, it can be more severe and profound. More so, unlike typical flu symptoms, loss of sense of smell or taste can occur without the existence of a stuffy or blocked nose. It can even affect the ability to distinguish between sweet and bitter and may happen without a stuffy nose.
An analysis of samples done in the US proved the findings to be correct.
The study
A small sample study was conducted by Arnold Monto, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and Carl Philpott, a University of East Anglia ear, nose and throat expert. The study was done to help differentiate between COVID-19 and the flu, at a time when specific anosmia detection tests aren't available and COVID testing kits come with their own criticism and flaws.
The experts based their study by giving a group of 30 people smell and taste tests. In the focus group, 10 had been diagnosed with COVID-19, 10 had real bad colds and flu and 10 were healthy volunteers.
As seen, the ones with COVID-19 diagnosis were more prone to experiencing a loss of taste. As in the volunteers who had a bout of severe cold, loss of smell and taste was only recorded in 4 out of 10 volunteers. The ones found to be COVID+ said that their senses were more deeply impacted, for a longer time.
What do the findings suggest?
While there's still no conclusive evidence to suggest that loss of smell might be the only feature to look out for, experts in the study suggest that simple sniff tests at home apart from keeping an eye out for other typical COVID symptoms could help garner protection.
Monto also warned that people, especially those who belong to a high-risk category or are asymptomatic should be watchful about signs of dyspnea, which means experiencing difficulty breathing.