The arrival of the first traces of cold in Spain has also brought the season of gripe. This disease coincides one more winter with the still feared Covid-19which maintains its incidence in those over 60 years of age, with 23,279 cases reported in the last 14 days and more than patients admitted according to the Ministry of Health.
The similarities between the two diseases can complicate a initial diagnosis, being able to confuse the symptoms of one with another. On the other hand, the relaxation in hygienic measures has also facilitated infections of both diseases, which increases the risk that we can get infected with either of them.
Although differentiating Covid and the flu is practically impossible without doing specific screening tests, knowing how to identify the similar symptoms that both diseases present can be vital to avoid more serious problems. This is the symptomatology they share:
Fever or feeling feverish/having chills
Tos
Difficulty breathing (feeling short of breath)
Fatigue
Throat pain
Runny nose or stuffy nose
Muscle pain and body aches
Headache
vomiting
Diarrhea
Change or loss of taste and/or smell
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has insisted that COVID-19 can be more serious than the flu for multiple people. Also, these symptoms may take longer to appear and be more contagious.
Contracting any of these viruses can pose a risk to certain people. But can we get Covid-19 and the flu at the same time? This is what the experts say.
Can I get Covid and flu?
As confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), a simultaneous infection with two or three viruses is possible. In this way, there is the possibility of get Covid-19 and the flu at the same timesomething that can aggravate the symptoms of both diseases.
This was stated by the epidemiologist Quique Bassat during an interview on Antena 3, where he insisted that “the combo box severity can be higher than the severity of each infection separately. The risk of death can even be multiplied in people who suffer from both diseases at the same time.
That is why experts increasingly recommend the flu vaccination, especially in the most sensitive population groups such as children, the elderly, immunosuppressed people, pregnant women or those who suffer from chronic lung disease. In this way, possible more severe problems can be avoided when contracting both diseases.