COVID-19, flu or cold: how to recognize the disease by the first symptoms

Sore throat, cough, fever can be symptoms of COVID-19. But the same symptoms are observed with the flu, the common cold, and seasonal allergies. It is possible to recognize what the patient is sick with by the sequence in which he manifested symptoms. Already with the first symptom, you can determine: a person has COVID-19, flu, or a cold, and choose the right course of treatment in a timely manner. Such conclusions were made during the study by scientists from the University of South Carolina, writes "Voice of America".

Photo: Shutterstock

In Simulating the Onset of COVID-19 Symptoms, a team of scientists analyzed the respiratory histories of thousands of people, looking at which symptoms and in what sequence appeared during the development of the disease. Based on the data obtained, they compiled the most likely sequences of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and compared them with the sequence of symptoms of flu, colds and allergies.

Research data suggests that symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza most often appear in the following sequence:

Infographics: ForumDaily

The researchers illustrated the most likely sequence of symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza in the form of charts with statistical data. These data also indicate that a different sequence of symptoms is unlikely.

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Adding to their research data on colds and allergies previously published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the scientists plotted the following relationship between major respiratory diseases and their first symptoms.

So:

• if the temperature first rises, it is COVID-19;
• if a cough appears first, it’s the flu;
• first there was a sore throat - a cold;
• watery eyes and runny nose - this is an allergy.

Infographics: ForumDaily

The researchers note that not everyone has the same disease. However, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the symptoms of diseases appear in this order.

“The sequence of symptoms matters. Knowing that each disease progresses differently, doctors can more quickly determine whether a patient has COVID-19 or another disease. This will help them make better decisions about the course of treatment for this patient,” concluded study leader Joseph Larsen from the University of South Carolina.

For the study, researchers analyzed WHO data from more than 55 patients who received a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-000 in China between February 19 and 16. They also looked at data from nearly 24 patients collected between December 1 and January 100 by an expert group of Chinese doctors.

To compare the symptoms of COVID-19 and seasonal flu, the researchers looked at data from 2 patients in North America and Europe that were collected by government agencies in 470-1994.

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