What’s the difference? Which one is worse? How are they similar and how are they different? Both illnesses can cause fever, cough, body aches, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea (especially in children). Both can result in pneumonia. Both the flu and COVID-19 can be asymptomatic, mild, severe, or even fatal. You might be asking yourself how do these horrible and sometimes life-threatening illnesses spread? Both the flu and COVID-19 spread in similar ways.
Both COVID and flu droplets or smaller virus particles can transmit the virus to other people nearby. The smallest particles may linger in the air, and another person can inhale them and become infected. With the flu, people can touch a surface with the virus on it and then transfer the germs to themselves by touching their face. People infected with the coronavirus or the flu may not even realize they are sick for several days, and during that time can unknowingly spread the disease to others before they even feel sick. With that info, there are ways you prevent these illnesses.
In most cases, serious cases of COVID can result in death. Both the flu and COVID can be prevented by vaccines. In addition, mask-wearing, thorough hand washing, coughing into the crook of your elbow, staying home when sick and limiting contact with people who are infected are effective and efficient safety precautions. Keeping a physical distance of 6ft or more limits the spread of COVID-19 and flu in communities and large group gatherings.
What caused the beginning of COVID-19? COVID-19 was caused by the 2019 coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2. There are different SARS-CoV-2 viruses that have differences in how severe or transmissible they are. Many people infected with the coronavirus do not feel sick or have only mild symptoms, but they can still transmit the coronavirus to other people.
What started the Flu? The flu is caused by the influenza virus. There are two main types of influenza virus called influenza A and influenza B. Different strains of influenza A and influenza B emerge and circulate each year. Flu does not typically affect a person’s sense of smell or taste as COVID does, although the two share many of the same symptoms. However, during the 1918 flu pandemic, a certain influenza strain caused many people to lose their sense of taste or smell.
Both illnesses have a vaccine that you can receive to help prevent and lessen your symptoms of the two viruses. The flu vaccine is effective in reducing the severity or duration of the flu, or preventing some of its most dangerous types. The flu vaccine is reformulated every year in anticipation of the influenza strains that are expected to circulate. It is very important to get vaccinated for the flu this year.
How do these viruses take a toll on your body temporarily and permanently? The development of complications for COVID include long-term damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, brain, and other organs, and a variety of long-lasting symptoms, is possible after a case of COVID-19. Influenza complications can include inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis), or muscles (myositis, rhabdomyolysis) and multi-organ failure. Secondary bacterial infections, particularly pneumonia, can occur following a bout of influenza infection.
During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, there were 50 million deaths and around 500 million cases. To date, we have had 303 million cases and 5.48 million deaths of COVID-19. The number of COVID deaths and the number of cases continues to go up day in day out. The newest strain of Omicron began On November 24, 2021, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.529, was reported to the World Health Organization. The new variant was first detected in specimens collected on November 11, 2021, in Botswana and on November 14, 2021, in South Africa.
We are going on year three of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spanish Flu Pandemic lasted 2 years and came in three different waves. The year of 2022 is unknown. We don’t know if the pandemic will last for a full third year, how many more lives will be lost, how many more patients will be admitted to the ICU, or how many more people have to spend days and hours in the parking lot in their car waiting for an update if their loved one will make it through COVID alive. Will we make it through the unknowns of 2022?
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Riley Kerley is a senior and a page editor for the Globe. She has been part of the staff for three years.
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