The COVID-19 epidemic is rapidly heating up. If people have a better understanding of COVID-19, they will be able to have better alertness. Coupled with the changeable symptoms of COVID-19, how to distinguish it from the flu and the common cold is very important.
What are the symptoms of Covid-19?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) include the following:
- fever/chills
- cough
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- fatigue and general weakness
- Headache
- loss of smell or taste
- sore throat
- Runny and stuffy nose
- nausea or vomiting
- diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Muscle ache
Dr. Robert Glatter of Lenox Hill Hospital in the United States mentioned that although the most common initial symptom of new coronary pneumonia is fever, there are actually many variables. Some patients with mild symptoms even only have a loss of taste and smell, but some patients have only dizziness and headache without accompanying Any respiratory symptoms, which means that there are no specific symptoms of new coronary pneumonia can be identified, coupled with the emergence of variant viruses, the symptoms have become more complex, in addition, asymptomatic infections are also contagious to a certain extent, forming more epidemic prevention breaches, Makes prevention more difficult.
Hives may appear as symptoms of COVID-19
A study by researchers at King’s College London, UK, shows that rash may also be one of the typical symptoms of new coronary pneumonia. According to statistics, about 20% of confirmed patients have skin-related symptoms, and the main symptoms are urticaria and chickenpox. rash and frostbite.
- Urticaria: The skin of the patient has irregular shapes, different sizes, and intense itching and lumpy swelling. The lumps in each area disappear after only a few hours, and after a period of time, they appear in other areas, repeatedly, especially in particular. Especially around the eyes or lips.
- Varicella-type rash: Small, itchy red maculopapular rashes all over the patient’s skin that last for a long time.
- Chilblains: Red or purple bumps on the patient’s fingers or toes, which may be accompanied by pain. Chilblain-like skin symptoms are more common in patients with new coronary pneumonia, especially in younger patients.
What happens to patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19?
Not all patients will have severe symptoms, but patients with chronic diseases such as heart disease, chronic obstructive pneumonia or diabetes should pay more attention. Most of the severely ill patients begin to experience severe breathing difficulties and shortness of breath after 1 week of infection. Respiratory-related symptoms, if not properly controlled, may become critically ill, leading to respiratory failure, which gradually deteriorates into multiple organ failure and shock, and the risk of death is greatly increased.
Covid-19 incubation period and contagious period?
According to the announcement of the World Health Organization, the incubation period of Covid-19 is about 1 to 14 days (mostly 5 to 6 days). Current research indicates that confirmed patients may be contagious 2 days before the onset of the disease, and the transmission routes include droplet infection and close proximity. contact infection, but does not rule out the possibility of fecal-oral infection.
What is the difference between Covid-19 symptoms and cold and flu?
Symptoms of Covid-19 are similar to colds and flu, but there are still a few differences that can be discerned.
| symptom | Covid-19 | influenza | common cold |
| fever | common | common | no fever or mild fever |
| cough | common | common（dry cough） | common |
| shortness of breath/difficulty breathing | common | severe | / |
| fatigue / general weakness | common | common | common |
| Headache | common | common | common |
| Loss of smell and taste | common | / | / |
| sore throat | common | common | common |
| Runny and stuffy nose | common | common | common |
| feel sick and vomit | common | common | rare |
| Diarrhea and abdominal pain | common | common | rare |
| Muscle ache | common | common | / |
In addition to the difference in symptoms, the incubation period and course of the three diseases are also quite different. The incubation period of influenza is the shortest, about 1 to 2 days, and the symptoms of fever last for about 2 to 3 days, and it takes about 1 to 3 weeks from the onset to recovery The possible complications of influenza include pneumonia, encephalitis, myocarditis, otitis media and sinusitis.
The incubation period of a common cold is about 1 to 3 days, and the course of the disease can be cured in about 4 to 10 days. Most of them have only mild symptoms and rarely have complications. However, infants and young children with poor resistance may still develop complications such as pneumonia and acute otitis media. , while the more common complications in adults are sinusitis.
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