TOCoronavirus cases are increasing, but the flu is also spreading fast: two weeks before Christmas, the spread of both viruses is growing, ready to mark a new peak in cases towards the end of December. A picture which, in a moment of meeting and sociality like that of the holidays, worries the experts who for days now have been making appeals inviting citizens to return to prudence and, above all, to vaccination to “save” the upcoming holidays.
Covid, be careful with meetings
In the first week of December the new Covid cases in Italy were 59,488more than double compared to the 27,000 at the beginning of November, a figure which is also widely underestimated given that fewer and fewer swabs are now being used.
But unfortunately, the number of hospitalizations in the medical area is also increasing and, sadly, also that of the dead. For the most part these are elderly people, for whom it is worth remembering given that so far only just over 3% of the over 60s have received the third booster dose, vaccination is recommended.
With the increase in positivity in Italy, here is what doctors recommend to avoid getting sick around Christmas (Getty)
The flu also runs fast
However, as we were saying, so does the flu: 630 thousand infections in the first week of December, almost 3 million Italians have been affected since the start of epidemic surveillance. Despite the numbers, however, the ministry’s experts reiterated that the situation is “under control”, even if it is being studied a way to increase vaccines in risk groups, perhaps involving general practitioners.
How to distinguish Covid and flu symptoms?
Clearly, since the two viruses are very similar in terms of symptoms, fever, sore throat and cough, one of the biggest problems at the moment is distinguishing one from the other. And that’s why the best way to understand if you are dealing with Covid or the flu is to take a swab test. The president of Fnomceo, the national federation of medical and dental associations, Dr. Filippo Anelli has listed some tips on how to avoid getting infected considering the approaching holiday period, where traditionally family gatherings are approaching. In any case, even if in the initial stages the symptoms can be very similar, the presence of very intense sore throat, insistent cough, difficulty breathing (breathlessness/apnoea), gastrointestinal symptoms, will lead to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Flu symptoms
In case of flu, Symptoms generally appear after a short period of 1-4 days from contact with an infected person and are:
- Fever
- Tiredness
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Cold
- Muscle and joint pain
Symptoms of Covid
In case of Covid-19, symptoms generally appear after 2-7 days of incubation and I’m:
- Fever
- Insistent cough
- Cold
- Tiredness
- Heachache
- Very intense sore throat, specific in many cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Breathing difficulty
- Loss of taste and smell (ageusia and anosmia)
- Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache
«No kisses and hugs», but when we have already heard it…
«Given the increased circulation of Covid and influenza – explained Anelli – to avoid infections, it is better to avoid greetings with kisses and hugs, a widespread habit among Italians. Maintaining a little physical distance, in these cases, is not a sign of less affection but a gesture of attention towards oneself and others. We need to be more cautious, because it is precisely during the Christmas holidays that we will have a peak in infections both for influenza diseases and for coronavirus.”
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