With the arrival of the 39th day, the temperature gradually dropped, and Beijing has entered the coldest period of winter. The number of patients who have been treated in the emergency department of the Huilongguan Campus of our hospital showed a significant upward trend. The common cold and influenza (hereinafter referred to as flu ) are the most common. At work, we are often asked the following questions:
"Doctor, I have a fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, and feel uncomfortable all over. Am I getting flu?"
"Doctor, I have a cold. I heard that Duffy (oseltamivir) is particularly effective. Can I take it too?"
"Doctor, my child has the flu, and the elderly at home have a high fever, but the elderly have negative flu tests. Isn't it the flu? Can you still take Duffy?"
Let's take a look at the difference between them in response to the above doubts about the common cold and the flu.
different pathogens
Common cold: is a common respiratory infectious disease caused by a variety of viruses, common ones include rhinovirus , human coronavirus, adenovirus , human parainfluenza virus, human respiratory syncytial virus and enterovirus , etc.
Influenza: is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza virus . Influenza viruses are divided into four types: A, B, C, and D. Currently, people are mainly infected with H1N1, H3N2 subtypes in influenza A virus and Victoria and Yamagata lines in influenza B virus.
Seasonal and contagious
Common cold: can occur throughout the year, and the seasonality is not obvious; it is weak infectious and does not have the characteristics of a pandemic.
Influenza: can cause seasonal epidemics every year and occur frequently in autumn and winter; it is highly contagious, often outbreaks or minor epidemics, and can even cause global pandemics, with influenza A the most contagious.
Symptoms are different
Common cold: Symptoms are relatively mild, mainly including: no fever or only low fever (body temperature <38℃,>
Influenza: Systemic symptoms mainly include: acute high fever (body temperature is 38~41℃, mostly above 39.1°C, fever time is 3~5 days), obvious fatigue, general muscle aches, chills, chills, headaches, and decreased appetite, sometimes accompanied by chest tightness , chest pain , conjunctiva congestion, mild respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and cough. Patients with mild influenza usually heal themselves after 2 to 3 days, while patients with severe upper respiratory tract symptoms and fatigue can last for about 2 weeks.
complications different
Common cold: rare.
Influenza: Common complications include pneumonia , nervous system damage, heart damage, myositis and rhabdomyolysis, otitis media , shock , etc.
treat different
common cold: does not have special antiviral drugs, so Duffy is not used to treat common colds. It mainly treats symptomatically and relieves symptoms. Pay attention to rest, drink more water, eats easy-to-digest food, opens windows to ventilate, and is careful to be vigilant about subsequent bacterial infections.
Commonly used symptomatic treatment drugs include:
(1) Antipyretic and analgesic drugs: acetaminophen , ibuprofen , etc., which can relieve headache, dizziness, and muscle soreness throughout the body.
(2) Vascular medicine for contracting nasal mucosa: pseudoephedrine or 1% ephedrine solution drops the nose. It can be used in severe nasal congestion.
(3) anti-allergic drugs : chlorphenamine (Phellmin), diphenhydramine , etc., can be used for clearing the nose.
The anti-cold medicine we usually use is a compound preparation composed of multiple ingredients with different pharmacological effects. When using it, be careful not to take multiple doses at the same time to avoid repeated use of the medicine and adverse drug reactions. Avoid blind or inappropriate use of antibacterial drugs. Use antibacterial drugs only if there is an indication of bacterial infection.
Influenza: Early application of anti-influenza virus drugs can shorten the course of influenza and reduce the spread of influenza. Currently commonly used anti-influenza A and B virus drugs include oseltamivir , paramivir , zanamivir (used by people aged 7 and above), abidor, etc. Before applying antiviral drugs, the risks and benefits should be fully evaluated, the appropriate time should be selected, and the medication should not be used without authorization, so as to avoid adverse consequences and increase the risk of drug resistance.
Recommend that influenza-like cases with severe or high-risk factors for severe influenza should be given empirical anti-influenza virus treatment as soon as possible. Antiviral treatment within 48 hours of onset can reduce complications, reduce mortality rate, and shorten hospitalization time; severe patients with onset time exceeding 48 hours can still benefit from antiviral treatment.
high-risk groups include: ① Children aged less than 5 years old (age <> hypertension ), kidney disease, liver disease, hematological system diseases, nervous system and neuromuscular diseases, metabolic and endocrine system diseases, malignant tumors, immune suppression (including the use of immunosuppressant or HIV infection, etc., which causes hypoimmune function); ④ Obese people with body mass index (BMI) greater than 30; ⑤ Pregnant and perinatal women.
For patients with non-severe and no high-risk factors for severe influenza, although influenza is heavier than the general viral cold , it also has self-limiting characteristics. Generally, the virus can be automatically removed within about a week and can be cured after symptomatic treatment, but a sufficient evaluation should be made to decide whether to give antiviral treatment.
Preventive measures different
Common cold: Wash your hands frequently, keep the environment clean and ventilated, minimize activities in crowded places, maintain good respiratory hygiene habits, pay attention to exercise, enhance resistance, add and reduce clothes according to weather changes, and when you have symptoms of respiratory infection, you should rest at home and self-isolate, and wear a mask to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
Influenza: In addition to common cold prevention measures, getting influenza vaccine on time every year is the most effective means of prevention (vaccination in October and November is relatively appropriate). Can
influenza vaccine and new coronavirus vaccine be vaccinated at the same time? In principle, it is recommended that the interval between influenza vaccine and the new coronavirus vaccine can only be vaccinated if it is greater than 14 days.
Through the above comparison, I believe that everyone has a further understanding of the common cold and influenza. I hope that this year's flu season will make you feel clear and no longer panic. If you have fever and respiratory symptoms, seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
article丨Infectious Disease Department Liu Jia
picture丨part from the Internet
editing丨Jin Xiaofang Yu Miao
