In the situation where the possibility of a'twin demic' in which Corona 19 and the flu (influenza) are simultaneously epidemic this fall is heightened, concerns are being raised even with a cold.
In particular, personal hygiene such as washing hands and wearing a mask has become more important than anything else in autumn and winter, as it is difficult to tell which of the three diseases a person has from the clinical symptoms alone.
Some people think that the flu is a'poisonous cold', so if you get the flu vaccine, you won't get a cold, but cold and flu also have different causes.
According to the medical community, Corona 19, flu, and cold are similar in that they have respiratory symptoms such as fever or cough, but they are quite different diseases.
Corona 19 is a respiratory disease caused by infection with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
Unlike flu, a vaccine has not yet been developed, so prevention through personal hygiene such as washing your hands and wearing a mask is best.
The antiviral drug'remdesivir' developed by Gilead Sciences is used for the treatment of Corona 19, but it is still prescribed only for patients with severe Corona 19.
Flu is a disease caused by the influenza virus, and the disease itself is sometimes referred to as'influenza' or'flu'.
People with flu have a sudden high fever and severe muscle pain all over the body.
Influenza viruses that cause flu are largely divided into types A, B, and C, and it is usually types A and B that cause illness in humans.
Influenza viruses, which are highly mutated and highly likely to pandemic, are often type A.
Since vaccines have been developed, it is recommended that people who are eligible for free vaccination get the vaccine.
Treatments such as Tamiflu are also commercially available, so if you are diagnosed with the flu, you can get prescriptions at primary medical institutions.
Unlike flu, colds are caused by more than 200 viruses, including rhinovirus and coronavirus.
There are four types of coronaviruses that cause colds, which are different from the current coronavirus pandemic around the world.
Therefore, getting the flu vaccine does not prevent the cold or COVID-19.
However, the medical community recommends that children, the elderly, chronically ill, and pregnant women get the flu vaccine as much as possible.
This is because if the flu is confused with the corona 19 infection and is concentrated in diagnostic tests, it may paralyze the domestic medical system, and there is a possibility that patients with reduced immunity due to the flu may become infected with Corona 19 twice.
Park Wan-beom, a professor of infectious medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, said, "It is not easy to classify the three diseases by symptoms in actual clinical trials, so if you suspect you should check them through tests."
Still, he advised that if you have to distinguish three diseases by clinical characteristics, you should look for sudden chills in the case of flu, and abnormal sense of smell or taste in Corona 19.
Professor Park said, "If you have a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and mild fever of 38 degrees or less, you are likely to have a cold, and if you have a sudden high fever, chills, severe muscle pain and cough, you can suspect the flu." Revealed.
He added, "Corona 19 has rare symptoms related to the nose like a cold, and fever is common, but it does not seem to be accompanied by sudden chills like the flu." Said.