Differentiate Covid-19 from another disease: The symptoms of Covid-19 and the flu are very similar. Almost a year after the first cases of coronavirus were identified, it is still difficult to differentiate the two diseases without screening tests. But according to a new US study, the order of symptom onset could help determine whether it’s a case of Covid-19 or the flu.
How differentiate Covid-19 from another disease?
A study carried out on more than 50,000 patients
For this study, researchers at the University of Southern California, United States; analyzed data on 55,924 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in China; all collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) between on February 16 and 24, as well as 1,100 cases collected by the China Medical Treatment Expert Group; via the National Health Commission of China between December 11, 2019, and January 29, 2020.
The study authors say knowing the order of symptoms can help patients get treatment faster and doctors rule out other illnesses. Joseph Larsen, the lead author of the study, said it would reduce hospitalization times. « This order is particularly important to know especially in times of seasonal illnesses such as influenza which coincide with coronavirus infections. said Peter Kuhn, professor of medicine.
How to differentiate the coronavirus from the flu and the common cold?
You can read also: secrets and strange facts about COVID-19 vaccines.
For a case of Covid-19, the order of onset of symptoms is as follows: onset of fever (from 37.8 ° C), a persistent cough (usually dry); and loss of taste and/or smell. Besides this, sufferers can also suffer from fatigue, body aches, sore throats, headaches, and shortness of breath. They may also have diarrhea and a runny or stuffy nose. However, this is quite rare.
In the case of the flu, the order of onset of symptoms is as follows: fever (from 37.8 ° C); dry cough; severe fatigue; body aches; and headache. Patients may also have a runny or stuffy nose or a sore throat. In children, diarrhea can also occur.
Finally, the order of appearance of symptoms is as follows for a cold: sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose; sore throat, and muscle aches. The patient may also experience a mild cough, feel tired, and have a fever or headache. However, these symptoms are rarer than the others.
source: https://dailygeekshow.com/
