How to distinguish a cold from a coronavirus?

Against the background of the rapid spread of coronavirus infection, many of us are beginning to notice discomfort. Healthy Food Near Me talked to an expert to find out in which situation you really need to sound the alarm. 

The number of cases of coronavirus infection in Russia continues to grow. At the moment, more than 2 patients with COVID-300 have been registered in our country. 

There are much more people with suspicion of a dangerous infection. Medical supervision is underway for 183 thousand Russians. 

Agree, in a situation of general panic, you involuntarily begin to notice that you do not feel as cheerful as usual. In addition, the constant stay at home, sitting at the computer, is very tiring, forcing us to mistake ordinary stress for something more. 

So what if you really feel unwell? We talked with the therapist of the Semeynaya network of clinics, Alexander Lavrishchev, and learned how a common cold differs from COVID-19. 

According to the specialist, there are two ways to detect a coronavirus infection: make a special test and carefully study the symptoms. In the situation that has arisen of a shortage of materials for tests for COVID-19, it is the second option that saves doctors. 

“We know the clinical features of the flu, the common cold and the coronavirus infection, so we can tell them apart. For example, if a person has a runny nose, conjunctivitis and a slightly elevated body temperature, then, most likely, the disease was caused by an adenovirus (rhinitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, etc.)“, – says Alexander. 

The doctor warns that the course of the coronavirus is quite similar to the flu. For example, it also causes dry cough and high fever.

“However, with the flu, patients complain of headaches and body aches. With COVID-19, there are practically no such symptoms, ”the doctor says. 

Coronavirus infection does not mean a runny nose or sore throat. “All of this, like the bowel upset that often occurs in children, is a symptom of a common cold,” explains the specialist. 

The doctor is confident that most of the world’s population will get sick with COVID-19 without even noticing it. 

“Many young people carry the virus under the guise of mild illness. It is impossible to establish the exact number of infected people – no medical system can test all of humanity for coronavirus and identify the full range of symptoms of this disease. It is possible that those who have already undergone the coronavirus, without even knowing it, did not even have a fever or special health problems. And in general, according to recent results of the study, it was found that doctors cannot recognize and diagnose some of the infections in any way, ”says Lavrishchev. 

All discussions of the coronavirus on the Healthy Food Near Me forum.

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