Health and Me

Ishita Roy

This ONE Key Symptom Will Help You Differentiate Flu From COVID, According To Doctor

Are you down with fever? Are your symptoms also a little less common from an ordinary cold? Are you also confused between flu and COVID? Then knowing this one symptom could help you set flu apart from COVID. Dr Rupa Parmar, a GP and medical director at Midland Health tells The Mirror, that shortness of breath could be a key symptom that could differentiate between the two. 

Dr Parmar highlights that it is a key indicator for COVID. "Shortness of breath is rare in both a cold and the flu, but as COVID more so affects the lungs due to inflammation, it is a common symptom."

The NHS website supports her advice, noting that breathlessness is a symptom more often tied to Covid, not the flu or a common cold. This kind of breathing difficulty is usually associated with infections like Covid or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

<h2>What Else Could Help You Know If You Have A COVID or Flu?</h2>

The nature of your cough could also help you understand different ailments. Dr Parmar said that a cold would produce a mild cough, whereas a flu cough could be more dry. However, with covid, "a cough will be dry and continuous, and many people will cough for more than an hour or have three or more coughing episodes within a day."

If one has lost their sense of smell or taste, then the chances are, this could be COVID. However, this symptom is also present in cold or in a flu.

For people who have Covid, the NHS advises staying home and avoiding contact with others if they or their children have symptoms and either develop a high temperature or feel too unwell to work, attend school, manage childcare, or carry out daily activities. If you are unsure about the cause, it is important to speak with a doctor.

Dr Parmar emphasized: "after all, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to health."

The flu is a common respiratory illness that happen from the influenza virus. The common flu symptoms are:

<ul><li>Fever</li><li>Sore Throat</li><li>Runny Nose</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Body Aches</li><li>Cough</li><li>Headaches</li></ul>

As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. The common symptoms include:

<ul><li>Fever</li><li>Cough</li><li>Fatigue</li><li>Headache</li><li>Nausea</li><li>Sore Throat</li><li>Runny Nose</li><li>Loss of smell or taste</li></ul>

COVID-19 could also have some long-lasting symptoms unlike flu or cold, that could seem unrelated to the original infection. 

As per the Ohio State University, the most recent COVID variant is XFG or the Stratus variant. Another new variant that causes the 'razor blade' like sore throat is Nimbus.

<h3>The symptoms of this new variant includes:</h3>

<ul><li>Congestion</li><li>Cough </li><li>Fever</li><li>Headache</li><li>Sore throat</li><li>Muscle Aches</li></ul>

NB.1.8.1 or the Nimbus variant is a subvariant of Omicron, which is a dominant COVID variant since late 2021. Omicron variants tend to cause more throat problems than the other variants seen earlier. 

The COVID virus binds to ACE2 receptors. According to WebMD, the cells in your nose and throat contain more ACE2 receptors than those deeper in the lungs, which makes them easier targets for Omicron variants. Once the virus attaches to these receptors in the upper airway, your immune system begins to respond.

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Are you down with fever? Are your symptoms also a little less common from an ordinary cold? Are you also confused between flu and COVID? Then knowing this one symptom could help you set flu apart from COVID. Dr Rupa Parmar, a GP and medical director at Midland Health tells The Mirror, that shortness of breath could be a key symptom that could differentiate between the two. Dr Parmar highlights that it is a key indicator for COVID. "Shortness of breath is rare in both a cold and the flu, but as COVID more so affects the lungs due to inflammation, it is a common symptom."The NHS website supports her advice, noting that breathlessness is a symptom more often tied to Covid, not the flu or a common cold. This kind of breathing difficulty is usually associated with infections like Covid or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).What Else Could Help You Know If You Have A COVID or Flu?The nature of your cough could also help you understand different ailments. Dr Parmar said that a cold would produce a mild cough, whereas a flu cough could be more dry. However, with covid, "a cough will be dry and continuous, and many people will cough for more than an hour or have three or more coughing episodes within a day."If one has lost their sense of smell or taste, then the chances are, this could be COVID. However, this symptom is also present in cold or in a flu.For people who have Covid, the NHS advises staying home and avoiding contact with others if they or their children have symptoms and either develop a high temperature or feel too unwell to work, attend school, manage childcare, or carry out daily activities. If you are unsure about the cause, it is important to speak with a doctor.Dr Parmar emphasized: "after all, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to health."What Is Flu?The flu is a common respiratory illness that happen from the influenza virus. The common flu symptoms are:FeverSore ThroatRunny NoseFatigueBody AchesCoughHeadachesWhat Is COVID-19?As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. The common symptoms include:FeverCoughFatigueHeadacheNauseaSore ThroatRunny NoseLoss of smell or tasteCOVID-19 could also have some long-lasting symptoms unlike flu or cold, that could seem unrelated to the original infection. As per the Ohio State University, the most recent COVID variant is XFG or the Stratus variant. Another new variant that causes the 'razor blade' like sore throat is Nimbus.The symptoms of this new variant includes:CongestionCough FeverHeadacheSore throatMuscle Aches'Razor blade' ThroatNB.1.8.1 or the Nimbus variant is a subvariant of Omicron, which is a dominant COVID variant since late 2021. Omicron variants tend to cause more throat problems than the other variants seen earlier. The COVID virus binds to ACE2 receptors. According to WebMD, the cells in your nose and throat contain more ACE2 receptors than those deeper in the lungs, which makes them easier targets for Omicron variants. Once the virus attaches to these receptors in the upper airway, your immune system begins to respond.