Flu vs. Coronavirus: Can You Tell the Difference?

According to Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins, these are the symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever
• Cough
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Sometimes vomiting and diarrhea
• Can be mild or severe, even fatal in rare cases
• Can result in pneumonia

You likely noticed that those symptoms are exactly the ones you might experience with the flu, and that’s one of the difficulties with self-diagnosis. As of this writing, the only way to know for sure what you’ve got is to be tested. And, so far in the United States, the tests are under the control of public health officials and administered when they believe there is good cause.

The two illnesses are caused by two different families of virus, and both can be fatal to vulnerable patients. What makes COVID-19 scarier than influenza is (1) humans who have had no prior exposure to it don’t have the antibodies to fight it, (2) the antiviral treatments that are effective in treating the flu have been ineffective on the coronavirus — scientists have yet to find a treatment that will mitigate or alleviate the most severe symptoms — and (3) there is no vaccine to prevent infection.

COVID-19 has proven deadly for older patients and those with underlying health conditions (as is the flu, which kills 12,000 to 60,000 Americans annually).

More bad news from Dr. Maragakis: “While both the flu and COVID-19 may be transmitted in similar ways, there is also a possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route, meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near,” she wrote for John Hopkins Medicine.

But the news is not ALL bad: If you are under the age of 60 and in generally good health, a COVID-19 infection may simply make you feel under the weather for a week or two. So far, it appears that children are less likely to be infected, which should also put parents’ minds at ease.

This pathogen is so new (it is believed to have made the jump from animal to human transmission in December 2019) that the scientists and the general public are all learning about it together in real time. So, the assumptions the medical community makes about COVID-19 today may be drastically adjusted tomorrow.

“For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been reading news stories that include steps to keep our family from getting the coronavirus and I’m having a really hard time following the new rules,” Los Angeles mom Yvonne Condes told Mom.com. ”I keep saying that I’m not going to shake anyone’s hand, but when someone reaches their hand out, I shake it. You’re not supposed to touch your face; I can’t stop touching my face. I’m hoping that washing hands will do the trick.”

Condes is not the only mom who is struggling with this new virus, even though practicing good hygiene has been standard advice for preventing colds and flu for years. You can avoid infecting yourself with the novel coronavirus in the same ways.

King County, Washington, was the site of one of the first COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States. Their public health department worked with the CDC to issue an advisory which can serve as a guideline for the rest of us as the coronavirus spreads.

Here are some highlights:

1. People at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible.
2. People considered at higher risk include those who are:

• Over 60 years of age
• With underlying health conditions including include heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes
• With weakened immune systems
• Who are pregnant

3. Stay home when you are sick. If you are ill in any way, call your doctor’s office first before going in.
4. Even if you are not ill, avoid visiting hospitals, long-term care facilities, or nursing homes to the extent possible. If you do need to visit one of these facilities, limit your time there and keep 6 feet away from patients.
5. Practice excellent personal hygiene habits, including washing your hands with soap and water frequently, coughing into a tissue or your elbow, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
6. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects (like doorknobs and light switches). Regular household cleaners are effective.
7. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, unless you’ve just washed your hands.
8. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, eat healthy foods, and manage your stress to keep your immunity strong.