As swine flu cases increase in India, know how to differentiate it from COVID

Prior to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, swine flu was the last major pandemic that wreaked havoc in many parts of the world. Recently, there has been a surge in swine flu cases in India.

Delhi has recorded at least 15 cases of swine flu in August 2022, while nearly 1,500 cases and 43 deaths have been reported in Maharashtra this year, according to media reports.

Doctors have found that patients are mistaking signs of swine flu infection with COVID, which can lead to improper treatment and further spread of the disease.

“Major concern is patients are coming with COVID symptoms. They are being examined. When their results come negative, they are sent back to home. The symptoms of Swine flu are similar to COVID-19,” Dr Vijay Mishra, medical director of Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital in Ranchi, told PTI.

This makes it important to understand swine flu and know how to differentiate it from COVID.

Swine flu is clubbed with seasonal flu that comes around cyclically. Viruses usually spread during the monsoon season. However, there can also be a link with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Experts believe it could be due to immunity debt.

Immunity debt is caused by the lack of exposure to common viruses and bacteria. This could have been possible due to long phases of quarantine and home-isolation for the last two years. This and other preventive measures, while necessary, have also resulted in low transmission of common pathogens that typically build our immune system, public health analyst and epidemiologist Dr Chandrakant Lahariya told Down To Earth.

So now when we are resuming our routine activities, we are low on immunity due to lack of exposure and thus, becoming more susceptible to other infections such as swine flu.

Swine flu is a human respiratory infection caused by an influenza strain that first affected pigs. It was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2009 when it first infected humans.

Here are some common symptoms of flu caused by the H1N1 virus:

• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Watery and red eyes
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Headache

These symptoms develop about one to three days after getting exposed to the virus.

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COVID-19 is far more infectious than swine flu. While several symptoms overlap, some distinguishing symptoms of COVID-19 that are rare in swine flu include loss of smell and taste, breathlessness and rashes on the body.

Vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea are very common in COVID, and can happen in severe cases of swine flu.

On the other hand, sneezing is common in swine flu, and is one of the less common symptoms of COVID-19 right now.

The most common symptoms that occurs in both infections include:

• Fever
• Body ache
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Chills

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As the two diseases have many similar symptoms, it is important to get a medical diagnosis to differentiate the two and know what you are infected with.

Since COVID pandemic is ongoing and there has been a recent surge in cases due to Omicron, people usually feel they might have COVID. “So, my advice is if a patient comes with Covid symptoms and turns negative with the disease, he/she should go for an H1N1 test. Otherwise, it may spread in the community,” Dr Mishra told PTI.

Both COVID-19 and swine flu are diagnosed with the help of a nasopharyngeal swab, an oropharyngeal swab and a nasopharyngeal wash. Rapid tests are also available for both COVID-19 and the flu, which can deliver results within hours.