Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 31 Jul 2024
COVID-19 or Just Seasonal Flu? Surge In Patients With Stuffy Nose, Fever, Body Aches
Doctors say patients are thronging hospitals with upper respiratory tract illnesses
COVID-19 has been making huge waves in the United States, and here in India, the monsoon season has also brought in a wave of infectious diseases, which have a lot of symptoms like stuffy noses, fever, and body aches – similar to coronavirus. Many are left wondering if the uptick is indicative of a mild variant or merely another flu-like illness.
In New Delhi, doctors say patients are thronging hospitals with upper respiratory tract illnesses. Apart from the national capital, neighbouring areas like Gurgaon and Faridabad, along with Kolkata, Mumbai, Kochi, and Bengaluru have reported a rise in these conditions.
Health experts have urged people to keep vigilance and caution as they investigate the cause of these illnesses and work to ensure the safety and well-being of the population.
COVID-19 symptoms are similar to influenza
According to doctors, the symptoms could mimic multiple conditions which include influenza, pollution-related allergic respiratory problems, and SARS-COV2 infection. Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that affect your nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It causes mild to severe illness, and sometimes even death. Symptoms that usually come on suddenly and can include:
- Fever or feeling feverish or chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Vomiting and diarrhoea, though this is more common in children than adults
How to differentiate between COVID-19 and flu?
Since they have similar symptoms, the only way to know for sure if you have the flu or COVID-19 is to get tested. They both have a risk of serious illness. However, different viruses cause these infections, and providers treat them with different medications.
In the US, the resurgence of the virus is largely attributed to new variants – FLiRT sub-variants and LB.1 - thought to be descendants of the Omicron variant. These new strains tend to undergo mutation, offering easy entry for the virus into the body system and evading immunity induced by past infections or vaccinations, leading to increased transmissibility.
However, studies say that despite sporadic cases of COVID-19 being there, the trend is more of a rise in influenza-like illnesses.
How does the flu spread?
Doctors say the flu virus can spread directly or indirectly in contact with someone else who is infected. Common ways to get the flu include:
- If someone around you is coughing, sneezing, or talking. Droplets can either get onto your hands or move through the air to get into your nose or mouth.
- By touching a contaminated surface
- By touching the hands or face of someone who has the flu
Who is at higher risk for complications from the flu?
According to doctors, a few health issues can put you at higher risk for severe illness from the flu, a few of which include:
- Having asthma or COPD
- Having a history of kidney, liver, neurological, heart or blood vessel disease, including stroke
- Having a condition that causes issues with muscle function or makes it difficult to cough, swallow, or clear fluids from your airways
- Having diabetes
- A weakened immune system
- A blood disorder
- Obesity and weight gain