Virus season.. Winter is a “fertile environment” for the spread of...

Specialists warned against complacency in the precautionary measures related to the emerging corona virus, during the winter season, which witnesses an increased activity of viruses and increases the chances of transmission of infection, noting the importance of receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine, to avoid complications from winter viruses, with the completion of immunization with Corona vaccines, as one of them does not sings the other.They explained to “Al-Youm” that the symptoms of both “Covid 19” and seasonal influenza are similar in terms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, general fatigue, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle and body pain, but the Corona virus differs in its clear loss of sense of smell and taste. and strong.

RNA

An infectious disease consultant, Dr. Hawraa al-Bayat said that the family of viruses reaches 3,000, and some have not been classified yet, and in the winter season, seasonal viruses such as influenza and others increase, noting that there is no connection between influenza and “Corona”, other than that they belong to ribosomal acid.

She added: There are 3 common types of seasonal influenza “A”, “B” and “C”, which are orthodox viruses, and respiratory viruses share the same symptoms of high temperature, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, cough and cold, but “Corona” differs It causes loss of sense of smell and taste, in addition to some complications such as blood clots and others.

She explained: It is not possible to differentiate between influenza and corona except by conducting a smear, advising to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination, for all ages, as there are no contraindications to the doses, which have proven their effectiveness and safety, and she also advised the initiative to receive the booster dose, for those entitled, noting the importance of caution and intensification of preventive measures. during the winter.

longer time

The assistant professor at the College of Public Health at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dr. Arwa Al-Omran said that the symptoms of “Covid 19” and seasonal influenza vary in severity, and both are infectious viral diseases that affect the respiratory system, and there are common symptoms that they share such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, general fatigue, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle and body pain, in addition to headache. Vomiting, diarrhea, and change or loss of the sense of taste or smell, indicating that both viruses increase their prevalence during the winter season.

And she said, “Corona” takes longer for symptoms to appear, than influenza, and symptoms of “Covid 19” appear, in general, from two to 14 days, while symptoms of influenza usually appear from one to four days.

Microbial differences

A faculty member and assistant professor of family medicine and occupational medicine at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dr. Hatim Ali Al-Qahtani said that the two viruses are different, microbially speaking, but they are similar in the way they spread through close contact between people, within a distance of approximately two meters, through respiratory droplets during speaking or coughing or by touching surfaces and then touching the mouth or nose, although The “Covid 19” virus is faster in spreading, and both of them infect the respiratory system, and they have similar symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, stuffy nose, headache, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.

He said: The Corona virus differs in its clearer loss of smell and taste, but both may lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and others.

death numbers

Al-Qahtani added: The statistics of the United States Center for Diseases for the years 2020-2021 indicated that the number of deaths as a result of “Covid 19” is more than the flu, and to prevent them, the two vaccines must be received, noting that one of them does not replace the other, and many people with mild symptoms can recover. At home with rest and reduced mixing with others and fluid intake, and in advanced cases, you need to go to health care providers.

Updates on “Covid 19”

In addition, the Ministry of Health recorded, yesterday, 44 cases of the emerging coronavirus (Covid 19), bringing the total confirmed cases in the Kingdom, since the beginning of the pandemic, to 549,192, while the critical cases amounted to 51.

The ministry’s statistics indicated that 41 new recoveries from the virus were recorded, bringing the total to 538,201 cases, while the number of deaths reached 8811, adding a new death case.

The Ministry of Health advised everyone to communicate with the 937 Center for Consultations and Inquiries around the clock, to obtain health information and services, and to know the latest developments in the virus.