COVID-19 and influenza co-infection
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Synonyms and keywords:
Overview
Historical Perspective
- COVID-19, also called Sever Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan, China in late December 2019. It has caused a significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and has been declared a global pandemic by the WHO.
- Influenza occurs mainly during the winter, it is a highly contagious acute viral respiratory infection that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating COVID-19 and Influenza co-infection from other Diseases
- Influenza and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Influenza is caused by infection with influenza viruses and COVID-19 is caused by infection with the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar. Influenza and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.
- This table compares the Influenza and COVID-19:
| Similarities | Differences | |
|---|---|---|
| Signs and symptoms | - It can be vary from no symptoms to sever symptoms.
- Common symptoms include: Fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea). |
- Change in or loss of taste or smell can be a sign of COVID-19. |
| Incubation period | - It takes one or more days for a person to get infected and develop symptoms after the exposure. | - It takes longer to develop symptoms in COVID-19 than Influenza.
- The time range can be vary in COVID-19, symptoms can appear early in 2 days or late in 14 days. - In Influenza, symptoms may develop 2 to 4 days after infection. |
| Period of Contagiousness | - A person can spread the virus for 1 day before the appearance of any symptoms. | - The period of contagiousness is longer in COVID-19, a person can spread the virus for about 2 days before having any symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after experience any signs or symptoms.
- Asymptotic or after the symptoms disappeared, It can be contagious for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. - In Influenza, it can be contagious for about 1 day before appear any symptoms. - Older children and adults can be most contagious during the first 3-4 days, but many remain contagious for 7 days of their illness. - Infants and immunocompromised patients can be contagious for longer. |
| How it spreads | - Both can spread from person-to-person, people in close contact (within 6 feet) with one another.
- Mainly by droplets from sick people when cough, sneeze, or talk. - Physical contact or touching their own face, mouth, nose or eye after touching contaminated surfaces or objects. - Asymptotic or people with very mild symptoms. |
- COVID-19 is very contagious among certain populations and age groups than Influenza.
- SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause quickly and easily spread to a lot of people, COVID-19 has been observed to have more superspreading events than Influenza. |
| High risk groups | * Highest risk groups to develop severe illness and complications in both COVID-19 and Influenza includes:
- Elderly. - People with underlying medical conditions. - Pregnant women. |
- School-aged children infected with COVID-19 are at higher risk of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) with rare but sever complication.
- The risk of complications in Influenza for young healthy children are higher compared to COVID-19. - Infants and children with underlying medical conditions are at highest risk for Influenza and COVID-19. |