The symptoms of the disease COVID-19, which include fever and cough, are very similar to some other diseases, and one of them is certainly the flu.
As the flu season is getting closer, how can it be easier to distinguish which disease it is? A new study has made this situation a little easier, and the new data could help people distinguish the symptoms more easily.
Scientists from the University of California managed to recognize the order in which the symptoms occur. This information could also help the person who recognizes the symptoms go into self-isolation as soon as possible, which will certainly alleviate the consequences.
"It is especially important to know the sequence of symptoms when we have overlapping diseases, such as influenza and COVID-19, whose symptoms are very similar," said Peter Kuhn, a doctor and professor at the aforementioned University. "Doctors can thus determine what steps to take in order to take better care of the patient and prevent serious consequences."
Scientists used known data
In order to predict the sequence of symptoms of the disease, they analyzed data collected by the World Health Organization from 55 infected people in China. In order to compare the symptoms of this disease and the flu, scientists also analyzed the data of 000 positive cases in America and Europe.
In what order do the symptoms occur?
According to data from the study, this is the order in which symptoms of the disease COVID-19 appear:
1. Temperature 2. Cough and muscle pain 3. Nausea and vomiting 4. Diarrhea
"Research reveals that patients with the flu more often first suffer from a cough and only then from a fever," explains Dr. Robert Glatter.
In reality, everything is not that simple because the flu can occur with a whole range of symptoms, from back pain to cough. Glatter says the results of the study could be useful when it comes to evaluating more patients who come to the hospital with symptoms. According to the results of the study, the flu will often occur with the appearance of a cough, while the first symptom of the COVID-19 disease is a fever.
The authors of the study added that the results of the research are important for recognizing the patient's condition at times when medical facilities are crowded.
Of course, these research results are by no means a rule that applies in all cases. Glatter also shared his experiences treating a patient in New York: "Basically, while fever is often the first symptom of being infected with the coronavirus, what I see in my patients is often a spectrum of symptoms. In some people, there is a loss of taste, but also changes in the fingers as a result of the infection, and all this without the appearance of temperature, cough or other respiratory symptoms". Thus, he had one patient who presented with symptoms of headache and dizziness, which can coincide with the symptoms of a stroke. "I also received patients who complained only of chest pain, without other respiratory symptoms," reports Večernji list.
According to him, it is important that doctors are aware of all the symptoms that may occur and that they do not have to follow any "schedule".
It is also important to understand how symptoms develop
"It is important to be able to prevent the spread of the infection as soon as possible and to know how the symptoms develop - isolating and monitoring each case is extremely important because this virus, unlike the common flu virus, spreads up to three times faster...", Glatter believes. and concludes that symptoms such as loss of smell and taste as well as inflammatory changes in the skin can be important symptoms that will reveal that it is a disease of COVID-19 and not a seasonal flu.
Bonus video:
