In daily life, many people often mix the flu with the flu, saying that “the flu is one thing”. This misunderstanding makes it easier to respond to both diseases by taking inappropriate measures, thus affecting the effectiveness of rehabilitation and even delaying the situation. Indeed, there are significant differences between influenza and flu in many respects.
From a pathogen point of view, flu is usually caused by a variety of viruses, such as nose viruses, coronal viruses, etc., which are diverse and dispersed. In contrast, influenza is caused by specific influenza viruses, including mainly influenza A and B. These influenza viruses are highly variable and prone to large-scale epidemics. For example, the influenza A virus, which frequently undergoes antigen mutations and produces new sub-types, has led to widespread population susceptibility and has historically triggered a global influenza pandemic.
There is also a clear difference in symptoms. The cold is relatively light, usually dominated by nasal symptoms, such as nose plugs, flue aldicarb, sneezing, etc., and may be accompanied by mild coughing, ingesting, low or no fever. The overall symptoms of the flu are often not apparent, patients are usually able to bear them, and daily activities are generally not significantly affected. However, the symptoms of influenza are severe and volatile. Patients usually have a high temperature of 39°C or higher, accompanied by visible whole-body symptoms such as headaches, muscular acidity and inactivity. Respiratory symptoms, such as cough and oscillation, are also prominent, and some patients may have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Influenza patients are often mentally ill, severely ill and need bed rest, which seriously affects normal life and work.
In terms of the seasonality of the disease, there is no significant seasonality of the cold, which can occur four quarters a year, mainly because of human immunity, environmental factors and exposure to pathogens. In temperate areas, however, flu has a clear seasonal nature, usually occurring on winter spring holidays, which is associated with the long life of influenza viruses in low temperatures, low humidity and increased indoor activity and poor air flow during winter. In the tropics, the seasonality of influenza is relatively low, but the incidence may increase during periods of higher humidity, such as the rainy season.
In terms of contagion, influenza is clearly more contagious than cold. Influenza viruses can spread rapidly among the population, especially in densely populated areas such as schools, offices, public transport, etc., and can easily cause concentrated infections. Moreover, the spread of influenza is rapid and widespread, leading to a high number of cases in a short period of time. In contrast, the cold is less contagious and has a relatively small spread, which is generally more distributed and less widespread.
From the point of view of treatment and preventive measures, the milder symptoms of cold are usually mitigated by more rest, more water and treatment for the symptoms, such as the use of precipitating, coughing and nostrils. Antiviral drugs are usually not required. The flu, on the other hand, requires timely treatment with anti-influenza virus drugs, especially within 24-48 hours of the onset of the disease, where symptoms can be significantly mitigated and the pathology reduced, while reducing the risk of complications. In terms of prevention, influenza vaccination is an effective means of preventing influenza, and vaccinations before the onset of the annual influenza season can significantly reduce the likelihood of influenza. There are currently no special effects vaccines for common flu, mainly to reduce the incidence of flu by strengthening general preventive measures such as exercise, physical enhancement, hand-washing and indoor ventilation.
In the case of complications, colds tend to cause very few serious complications and may occasionally be followed by bacterial infections, such as ear and ear inflammation, but the overall incidence is low. The flu, on the other hand, can cause a number of serious complications, such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, myocarditis and encephalitis, especially among children, the elderly, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic underlying diseases, with higher incidence and mortality.
In summary, while both influenza and flu are respiratory diseases, there are significant differences in pathogens, symptoms, seasonality, infectiousness, preventive treatment and complications. We should properly understand the differences between the two diseases, have timely access to medical care, correct treatment and preventive measures in case of symptoms, in order to safeguard ourselves and the health of others.
