Runny nose, itchy throat… Germs proliferate before Christmas. Cold, sore throat, cough… The traditional winter viruses are present and are in competition with the flu, several regions of which are in the pre-epidemic phase, and Covid-19.
Identify the symptoms of the flu
But it is important for patients to know what pathology they have developed, as the symptoms are similar for certain diseases. Headaches, aches, cough… All these signs are common to the flu, but also to Covid or bronchiolitis. However, if the symptoms appear suddenly, and it is impossible to get out of bed, it may be the flu, judges infectious disease specialist Gilles Pialoux.
“It’s true that the flu is perhaps different. Classically, we have more of a fever of 40 with headaches, you don’t get out of bed, etc. That’s the classic form of the flu But it’s very difficult for the people who listen to us to make the diagnosis themselves,” he explains on Europe 1.
Apply barrier gestures
However, knowing what illness we suffer from is useful to protect the most vulnerable around us. “It is not at all the same to have an adenovirus, therefore the virus that causes colds, and to have Covid compared to someone who has perhaps had a kidney transplant, or who has respiratory failure The issue is not at all the same in terms of serious form”, warns the doctor.
“Get tested for Covid, flu and even angina,” concludes Gilles Pialoux, who reminds that knowing your illness allows you to apply barrier gestures and stop the spread of viruses.