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 What is the difference between the new corona disease and the flu?

Both influenza and the new coronavirus disease, or what is known as COVID-19, which is an abbreviation for the term Coronavirus disease 2019 ( Coronavirus disease-19) are infectious respiratory diseases, and although the symptoms of each of these diseases are similar, they develop As a result of infection with different types of viruses.

At the end of 2019, a new infectious disease that had not previously been diagnosed in humans spread in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which turned out to be caused by infection with a new type of coronavirus, which was called the new coronavirus (Novel coronavirus), or what is now known as the coronavirus. Severe acute pulmonary syndrome 2, or SARS-CoV-2, is a virus of animal origin, originally from bats.

The news bulletins these days are hardly devoid of mentioning news and developments related to the new corona disease ( Corona), which despite receiving this global attention, is considered a minor disease compared to the injuries caused by influenza, as reports indicate that The new Coronavirus has infected more than 75,000 people, and killed nearly 2,000 infected people, most of them in China, at a time when influenza has caused an estimated 26 million sick cases this season, nearly 250,000 hospitalizations, and 14 1,000 deaths, in the United States According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you are not alone. 

Although there is a large difference between the rates of infection and death between the new corona disease and influenza, influenza is currently considered a well-studied disease for several decades, and despite its seriousness, the course of the disease, and its possible results are known and can be expected well, and in contrast, Moreover, there is not enough information available about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has made this disease extremely worrying as there are many ambiguities around it.

The difference between the symptoms of the new corona disease and influenza

Knowing the difference between the symptoms of the new corona disease and the symptoms of influenza may help to differentiate between them, and knowing the disease the patient is dealing with, which certainly does not dispense with seeking health care from specialists.

Symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease include:

• Fever.
• throat pain
• Shortness of breath
• loss of sense of taste
• loss of sense of smell
• cough.
• exhaustion.
• In some cases, the disease may develop sore throat, runny nose, or diarrhea and nausea.
• In severe cases, novel coronavirus disease may cause severe acute pulmonary syndrome, kidney failure, or death.

Flu symptoms include:

• Fever.
• goosebumps.
• sore throat.
• cough.
• a headache.
• muscle pain

It may be difficult for the average person to differentiate between the symptoms of both diseases in a way that helps diagnose the disease without undergoing the necessary tests, due to the presence of some similarity in the symptoms.

Similarities between the new corona disease and influenza

Both novel coronavirus and influenza are viral diseases capable of causing respiratory problems in humans. These diseases share some characteristics, which include the following:

1. Both diseases can cause mild or severe disease, or even fatal in some rare cases, and each can lead to the development of pneumonia ( Pneumonia).
2. Both diseases can be transmitted through the air by airborne droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, or speaking of an infected person.
3. The influenza virus can be transmitted from an infected person to others several days before the symptoms of the disease appear on the infected person, which is believed to be similar to the transmission of the new Coronavirus.
4. Both diseases cannot be treated with antibiotics, as they work only on bacterial infections.
5. Both diseases can be treated by controlling the accompanying symptoms, and severe cases of the two diseases may require hospitalization and special care, such as artificial respiration.
6. Both diseases can be prevented by making sure to clean and sterilize hands frequently, sneezing or coughing using tissues, closing the mouth using the elbow before that, and avoiding mixing with infected people, or people who show symptoms of the disease.

Other differences between the new corona disease and influenza

Some other differences between novel coronavirus disease and influenza include:

1. The cause, as we mentioned, cause of the new corona disease is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, while influenza is caused by infection with different types and strains of influenza viruses.
2. Transmission, although both diseases can be transmitted similarly, the new corona disease can be transmitted airborne and cause disease to others, through airborne droplets issued by people with the disease, even when the patient is not in the same place.
3. Antivirals, antivirals can help relieve flu symptoms and reduce the duration of illness, while the effect of antivirals on the new coronavirus is still unknown and understudied.
4. Vaccines: There is still no effective vaccine against the new corona disease, as research is still being conducted to develop a new vaccine for this disease, while effective influenza vaccines are available, which protect against infection with some dangerous types of influenza viruses, or reduce the severity of its symptoms.
5. Infections The total number of new coronavirus infections was estimated at the end of February (month 2) of the year 2020, at nearly 84,000 cases around the world, most of them inside China, while the annual influenza infections are estimated at nearly 1 billion infections annually.
6. Deaths. Reports indicate that by the end of February 2020, the deaths resulting from infection with the new coronavirus are estimated at approximately 2,871 deaths, while influenza causes the death of approximately 291-646 thousand people annually.
7. The risk, in general, is that 0.05% of people infected with influenza die from the disease, while some approximate percentages indicate that 2% of people infected with the new corona disease die from the disease, that is, 40 times the death rate from influenza, but this percentage It is still inaccurate, as the new corona disease is still a new disease under study, and this percentage varies with some important factors, such as the age of the patient and the geographical area of ​​the infection, as the death rate of the new corona disease is likely to decrease with the improvement of treatment. , and count cases of mild disease that have not yet been diagnosed.