H3N2 influenza vs. COVID-19
A sudden surge in cold and flu cases in India has become a major source of concern. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientists have attributed these cases of persistent cough and fever to Influenza A subtype H3N2.
In general, seasonal influenza can be of 4 types - types A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal epidemics of disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
With respect to the currently circulating H3N2 influenza and the rising cases of cough, cold and nausea across the country, the ICMR has advised against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. The research institute recommends washing hands with soap and water, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, covering mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing, avoiding touching eyes and nose, drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol for fever and bodyache.
Also read: Possible reasons why your cough is not going away
How is H3N2 influenza different from COVID-19?
Both COVID-19 and H3N2 influenza are caused by contagious viruses. They can spread through droplets and can also mutate significantly. However, even though both these respiratory illnesses are highly transmissible, they both belong to a different family of viruses.
While COVID-19 is caused by the SARs-CoV-2 virus, H3N2 is one of the Influenza A subtypes circulating in humans. Reportedly, the latter can lead to more cases of hospitalisations compared to other strains.
Symptoms to watch out for
As per several reports, the H3N2 influenza presents as fever accompanied by sore throat, cough, body aches and runny nose. In general, seasonal influenza is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise (feeling unwell), sore throat and a runny nose, as per the WHO.
What is so distinct about H3N2 influenza?
So far, most cases of the influenza are reporting upper respiratory tract symptoms. This includes persistent cough, headache, fever, sore throat, runny nose, etc. However, what has been noted is a lingering cough that just does not go away. According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), seasonal fever will last five to seven days but in some cases the cough can persist for up to three weeks.
Note the incubation period
The incubation period is the time between when you first come in contact with the virus to when your symptoms start to show. The time between infection to illness for SARs-CoV-2 virus is said to vary from person to person and therefore, can range from 2 to 14 days.
In respect to seasonal influenza, the incubation period may be much shorter than the incubation period for COVID. The time from infection to illness is about 1-4 days.
How to know if it is COVID or flu?
Getting yourself tested is the only way to know for sure whether you have COVID or the flu. You can get a rapid antigen test, which is faster in terms of delivering results, or an RT PCR test, which is more accurate but takes time to provide results. Flu and COVID tests require a respiratory sample, such as a nasal swab, to check for the presence of the flu virus.