Dr Hilary Jones explains importance of vitamin A and D
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With twindemic set to hit the UK in the upcoming months, it might be difficult to tell whether your sniffles are triggered by flu or Covid. Between coronavirus becoming milder with every new variant and the symptoms overlapping, two signs could fortunately help clear up any confusion, according to an expert.
The promise of winter is currently looking quite bleak as both Covid and flu cases are set to sky rocket.
LloydsPharmacy Superintendent Pharmacist, Victoria Steele, said: “As we enter the first winter season without any lockdown restrictions, flu cases are predicted to rise once again.
“With immunity at an all-time low as a result of the pandemic, global health leaders have urged for an agile response to the impending flu season.
“The colder months not only bring about increased levels of the flu virus, but they can also aggravate and encourage other respiratory illnesses – which tend to have similar symptoms to flu.”
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While this double whammy might be difficult to dodge, two signs could help you differentiate between the viruses – ageusia and anosmia.
Characterised as a respiratory virus that targets your lungs and airways, Covid can leave you with a cascade of stubborn symptoms, ranging from a cough to a headache.
What’s worse, the slew of milder symptoms might make it difficult to identify, according to an expert.
This is where augesia and anosmia step in to rescue as “it’s unusual for flu” to cause these signs, according to Steele.
When you’re ill, the last thing you probably want is to tuck into a hot soup only to find out that it just tastes like hot water. Well, augesia, also known as loss of taste, is the sign responsible for this betrayal.
Whereas, anosmia targets your nose, stripping you of your sense of smell.
These two key signs could differentiate between the respiratory viruses during this period.
However, there’s a catch as many patients with Omicron and its subvariants are no longer struggling with loss of taste and smell, according to the British Medical Journal.
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Fortunately, the combination of other symptoms could provide a helping hand. The expert shared that key symptoms of Covid include:
- A blocked or runny nose
- Headache
- High temperature
- A new, continuous cough
- Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling or being sick
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- Aching body
- Sore throat
- Diarrhoea
- Shortness of breath.
However, to be 100 percent sure, Steele recommended taking a lateral flow test. “These can be ordered directly from our website or at any local store,” the pharmacist said.
“A runny nose and headache are symptoms of many infections but may also be the first and only symptoms of Covid,” Steele added.
From a sudden fever to tummy pain, the expert also listed the most common flu symptoms to be aware of.
The key symptoms of flu include:
- A sudden high temperature of 38C or above
- An aching body
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- A cough
- A sore throat
- A headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea or tummy pain
- Feeling sick or being sick.
While the signs can be quite similar indeed, remember that symptoms like ageusia and anosmia could help differentiate them.
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