on March 14, 2020 Last few months the world has been made busy by the spreading of coronavirus (COVID-19). Start from China, and spreading fast within months to other countries, COVID-19 has disrupt many sectors in countries in the world. Some of them even lockdown! Now as per this post written (March 14th, 2020), Indonesia has confirmed 96 cases. Though Indonesia hasn’t been lockdown, but you can’t be too careful, right?
According to World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the common symptoms of COVID-19 which may appear 2-14 days after exposure are:
- Fever
- Cough
- Short Breath
So how can we tell the differences between COVID-19 and common cold?
According to CDC, the symptoms of common cold are:
- Sneezing
- Stuffy nose
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Post-nasal drip
- Watery eyes
- Possibly a fever (but most people with colds don’t have a fever)
.. while the symptoms of flu are:
- Fever or feeling feverish
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than adults)
Cold and COVID-19 symptoms has differences. In common cold, sneezing and stuffy/runny nose usually happened, while in COVID-19 case don’t.
But flu and COVID-19 symptoms have similarity. They irritate the bronchial tubes, and that produces a cough that’s usually dry. Both of these viruses can also make you feel worse in your entire body—you can feel really tired and you just want to go to bed because you have no energy. Also both viruses can also lead to pneumonia.
So if you feel the symptoms of flu (or COVID-19), contact your doctor and do the test. Stay home if you’re sick to avoid the risk of spreading it to others. Wear mask to prevent your droplets (which may carry viruses) infect other people.
For healthy people, the best way to lower your risk of contracting virus is to practice good hand hygiene. Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth. Wash your hand with soap on clean, running water, and dry them with clean towel. By washing hands, we can keep our body safer from virus – any virus.