Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialist Prof. stated that spending more time indoors and increasing human contact during the winter months may lead to the transmission of many diseases from person to person through direct droplets or indirect contact. Dr. Reşit Mıstık said, “Flu, cold viruses, flu virus, SARS-Coronavirus-2, which is the cause of Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); The most common viruses in this period. All of these viruses settle in the respiratory system and manifest themselves with similar symptoms. For this reason, it may be necessary to make a differential diagnosis,” he said.
Stating that the incubation period of the influenza virus that causes flu is between 1-4 days, mild runny nose, nasal congestion and sore throat may also be added to symptoms such as sudden headache, high fever, chills, chills, dry cough, myalgia, weakness and loss of appetite. Dr. Reşit Mıstık gave the following information about the risks associated with flu;
“After the respiratory system symptoms and fever disappear, cough and weakness may continue for 1-2 weeks. Contagion from the sick person continues from the day before the illness until the fever disappears. Just like influenza-related pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia may also be added to it, or bacterial pneumonia may develop after the flu is over. While the mortality rate of flu in healthy people is 2 per 100 thousand, it increases 52 times in those with cardiovascular disease, 120 times in those with lung disease, and 241 times in those with both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. “There is a flu vaccine against this virus.”
Prof. stated that while there is fever and chills in the common cold, there is no fever in the flu. Dr. Reşit Mıstık said, “The incubation period of the common cold varies between 1-7 days. The onset of a cold is gradual, fever, chills and chills are rare, cough is less frequent, headache is rare, muscle pain is mild or dull, and fatigue and weakness are very mild. Sometimes diarrhea may also occur. Pneumonia, lower respiratory tract illness, and death are unlikely to occur. There are many viruses that cause this disorder. Flu is a disease caused by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses that affects the upper respiratory tract and its incubation period is 1-3 days. There is usually no fever in a cold. There is abundant nasal discharge. Headache is either absent or mild. In some patients, very mild fatigue may be observed. “The risk of pneumonia is very rare in some special patient groups,” he said.
Reminding that the incubation period of the coronavirus is between 3-10 days, the disease begins with mild fever, malaise, sore throat, nasal congestion, sometimes dry cough, mild diarrhea several times a day, muscle-joint pain and back pain. Dr. Mıstık continued as follows;
“After a few days, some patients may experience loss of taste and smell. Some or all of these complaints may be present in a patient. In some people, the disease may descend to the lower respiratory tract on the 5th to 13th day, gradually progressing to pneumonia and further to respiratory failure. In some cases, symptoms gradually disappear after the 7th to 10th day. Weakness may last longer. Weakness and muscle aches can sometimes persist for weeks. The disease can be contagious from the last 2 days of the incubation period until the 11th day of illness. “The rate of serious illness, pneumonia and death in some risk groups is higher than those with flu.”