H3N2 virus vs COVID-19: Both respiratory diseases are highly transmissible but belong to a different family of viruses. Learn the difference, signs, symptoms, incubation period and more.
Difference between the H3N2 virus and Covid-19: A sudden increase in cold and flu cases has become a major source of concern in India. Cases of constant cough, fever and COVID-19-like symptoms are increasing across the country and experts say it may be related to the H3N2 subtype of the H3N2 influenza virus. Symptoms of this virus are a persistent cough, headache, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, runny or stuffy nose.
Experts recommend taking certain precautions such as washing your hands with soap and water, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, covering your mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing, drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding touching your eyes and nose, and taking paracetamol to headache and fever. . Covid is not completely gone, and one has to be safe and needs proper testing. However, there are some differences in the symptoms, causes, and incubation period of influenza and Covid-19 that can help you tell the difference.
H3N2 flu vs. COVID-19
Both COVID-19 and H3N2 influenza are caused by contagious viral illnesses. They are transmitted through droplets and can also mutate significantly. However, although these respiratory diseases are highly transmissible, they belong to different families of viruses. COVID-19 is caused by the SARs-CoV-2 virus, H3N2 is one of the subtypes of Influenza A that is transmitted in humans.
Symptoms
Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Grover, head of intensive care and pulmonology at CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, said that “in terms of symptoms, currently most of the influenza patients have had symptoms of the upper respiratory tract such as persistent cough, headache, fever, and sinus-related symptoms.After the initial period, the fever subsides and the cough persists for at least 2-3 weeks.This makes patients feel very unwell in terms of continuous cough and sore throat. Most of the patients have been taking cough syrups and anti-allergy medicines,”
Incubation period
Dr. Grover says that influenza has a shorter incubation time and is more like a common viral infection. “Symptoms can come on very quickly in patients when they become infected, and the incubation period can be around 24 hours and the patient is likely to have upper respiratory symptoms. In case a person is diabetic, or elderly and has other similar morbidities, he may experience more severe symptoms.
How to differentiate between flu and covid
“The only way to differentiate between flu and Covid is by doing a nasal exam to identify viral antigens. It is important to differentiate between the two, as the specific antiviral medication required for the two was different,” says Dr. Taneja.
“As a saving grace, among adults, lung involvement has rarely been seen among influenza patients, in contrast to pediatric children who become sicker and often need ICU admissions. Covid, by contrast, has all sorts of presentations, from basic cough to severe pneumonia leading to respiratory failure and even death, as seen in the second wave of the Delta variant,” says Dr. Goyal.
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