symptoms, how many days do they last now in 2024 and how are they different from flu or cold
When the Spanish health authority reminds that mild cases should not end up in the emergency department, the seriousness of the issue in terms of the saturation of these services is clear. The situation has not yet reached this point, but it is true that according to the latest data, the incidence of Covid-19 has increased in Spain. In Aragon, the number of positive results has increased in primary care settings in recent weeks. However, experts acknowledge that the coronavirus “shows no sign of severity” in a scenario in which it behaves like another acute respiratory disease.
The Carlos III Health Institute, in its latest report “Sentinel surveillance of acute respiratory infections in primary health care (ARI) and hospitals (SARI) for the week of June 17 to 23, 2024”, assesses The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate was 34.9% (31.7% in the previous week). The hospitalization rate for Covid is 4.5 cases/100,000 hours (3.5 cases/100,000 hours in the previous week). In terms of severity, since the beginning of the season, pneumonia accounted for 30.2% of hospitalized cases for Covid, intensive care unit admissions were 3.9%, and case fatality was 7.9%.
The SARS-CoV-2 variant detected in the largest proportion of ARI cases in primary care was BA.2.86 (59.62%), with a predominance 81.49% since the beginning of the season, which corresponds to the circulation of JN.1 lines and sublines. The SARS-CoV-2 variant identified in the largest proportion of hospital-based SARI cases was BA.2.86 (60.47%).with a prevalence of 80.98% since the beginning of the season, which corresponds to the circulation of the JN.1 lines and sublines.
Dr. Luis Miguel García, family doctor and president of the Aragon Society of Family and Community Medicine, explains that any respiratory viral infection can be complicated, but the norm is a four-day fever with a sudden exacerbation. “At the moment, different viruses coexist among us.”
Differences between influenza A, B and the common cold
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Influenza viruses type A and B are the most common and cause seasonal epidemics of the disease:
- Type A viruses They are further divided into subtypes depending on the combination of proteins on their surface. Currently, subtypes A (H1N1) and A (H3N2) are circulating among humans. Currently, the A(H1N1) virus is also known as A(H1N1)pdm09 because it caused the 2009 pandemic and replaced the A(H1N1) virus that had been circulating up to that point. All known pandemics have been caused by influenza A viruses.
- Type B viruses They are not classified into subtypes, but can be divided into lines: B/Yamagata and B/Victoria.
- Type C viruses They are detected less frequently and usually cause mild infections, making them of little public health significance.
- Type D viruses They primarily infect livestock and do not appear to cause infection or disease in humans.
The difference between influenza A and influenza B is that A is the most serious because it has a greater ability to mutate and can be transmitted from animals to humans.. This is exactly what happened with epidemics such as the 2004 bird flu or the 2009 swine flu.
Influenza type B is milder and only affects people and its symptoms.because the virus mutates two to three times slower than A, and therefore allows us to develop greater immunity. The negative side of things is that Symptoms usually last longer and are especially dangerous for young people and children.as it is more common among people in this age group.
Common flu symptoms that appear even 24 hours after infection include: chills, fatigue, fever, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, severe runny nose and sore throat. Cold symptoms typically include nasal congestion, cough, sore throat, and, less commonly, fever, fatigue, and sneezing. They appear one to three days after exposure to the virus and resolve completely in less than 10 days.
Symptoms of covid in 2024
The most common symptoms in people infected with the newest lineages are: cough, fatigue, headache, sore throat, fever, hoarseness, muscle pain, shortness of breath, loss of smell and appetite, tachycardia, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing and diarrhea.
Dr. Garcia explains that the above symptoms They are tormented for 4–5 days during the period when the infection rises and another 4 during the days when it declines.although there are those who refuse to leave the affected body: “the cough persists for 2-3 weeks as a symptom of infection,” the doctor points out.
Treatment for respiratory viruses and what to do if you have covid
Dr. Garcia clarifies that the treatment in all these cases is simple: paracetamol and ibuprofen, since the antibiotic is taken from the fourth or fifth day, when the disease becomes complicated. “You consider prescribing an antibiotic after the fourth or fifth day when the situation becomes more complicated. “If the infection is in the nose and it seems to be ‘going down’ into the chest, it’s not going down; it’s a superinfection, another infection, probably bacteria, infecting the bronchial tubes. You’ll need an antibiotic there to fight that new infection.”
Garcia is asking for common sense to avoid infecting the rest of his family and friends. “Who is bad, avoid contact with older people or people with weakened immune systems or wear a mask; take precautions.”