Cold? Flu? Don’t confuse them anymore, the harm can’t be underestimated!

A 2013 South Korean movie "Flu" (also known as "The Deadly Cold") gave people a subversive new understanding of the common influenza (flu).

It is no exaggeration to say that if the pathogen is misjudged and improperly handled, it is likely to bring disaster to mankind. Of course, this movie also has fictional elements and exaggerates the destructiveness of influenza, but its warning role to mankind is unquestionable.

The common cold is what people commonly call "cold". People generally think that colds are caused by drastic changes in the environment.

However, the truth is not that simple; colds are caused by microorganisms.

There are many types of microorganisms, and there are many pathogens that can cause colds. Viruses, mycoplasmas, and bacteria can all cause colds. However, most colds are caused by viruses, including parainfluenza viruses, coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses.

Although there are only three types, they have many subtypes. There are more than 100 types of rhinovirus alone. This also explains to a certain extent why some people catch colds all year round (actually caused by different pathogenic microorganisms).

Colds can occur all year round, with parainfluenza viruses mostly occurring in autumn, coronaviruses mostly occurring in winter, and rhinoviruses mostly occurring in spring and summer. Sometimes people will stay away from people with colds for fear of being infected.

This is because some viruses exist in the human respiratory tract, and the droplets brought out when coughing or sneezing will carry some viruses and infect others. You should know that when you sneeze, the droplets will spread outward at a speed of more than 100 meters per second.

The common cold is not as contagious as the influenza. Common causes include being caught in the rain, catching a cold, or being physically tired, etc., and it has a lot to do with each person's resistance.

Therefore, the common cold is usually a case-by-case basis, and rarely occurs in large numbers. Viruses usually have an incubation period, and the incubation period of the common cold virus is usually one day, and the disease progresses slowly.

At first, the patient may feel itchy, dry and hot in the nose and throat, which will worsen after a few hours, and symptoms such as hoarseness, sore throat, nasal congestion, dry cough and runny nose may occur. In severe cases, complications may occur in other parts of the body, such as back pain, fatigue, chills, loss of appetite and headache. Common colds are usually accompanied by a low fever (about 38°C), which will be relieved and recovered after 2-3 days.

Unlike the common cold, influenza is caused by influenza virus and is an acute respiratory infectious disease.

Its transmission mode and route are similar to those of the common cold, the difference is that winter and spring are often the seasons for influenza outbreaks, with an infection rate of 50% being common, and outbreaks tend to be large-scale.

Influenza viruses are prone to mutation and will continue to produce new mutant strains, so patients who have recovered from influenza may continue to become infected.

The incubation period of influenza varies from a few hours to a few days, but most cases are about 24 hours. The onset of influenza is sudden, with chills and shivering, and the body temperature generally rises above 39°C, followed by runny nose, dry cough, fatigue, body aches, and conjunctivitis.

In addition, systemic symptoms are more severe and last longer than the common cold, taking 3-5 days to improve, and are more harmful to physical health than the common cold.

Common colds and flu are mostly caused by viruses, and there is no specific effective medicine so far. The medicines people take can only play a certain role in alleviating the symptoms.

After catching a cold, you should pay attention to rest more and drink more warm water. You will recover in about a week. If conditions permit, you can soak your feet in hot water to speed up recovery.

In addition, it is not recommended to take antibiotics for the common cold, otherwise the benefits will outweigh the consequences.

For influenza patients, they should stay in bed and rest, eat easily digestible food, and drink plenty of water (mainly fresh water). If they have a high fever and are severely dehydrated, they should go to the hospital for treatment and infusion in time to prevent the condition from worsening.

In fact, whether it is the common cold or the flu, prevention should be the priority. Ventilate your home more often and exercise more often. If the environmental hygiene quality and immunity are improved, the probability of getting sick will also be reduced.

In addition, when the temperature drops or the seasons change, you should add more clothes in time. You can't just care about style and not temperature. Finally, it is important to remember to avoid crowded public places (especially places with poor hygiene conditions) so as not to give pathogenic microorganisms a chance to find trouble.

*This article was first published by "The Fat Devil's Microbial Front" (WeChat ID: nldxhjwswx). Any media reprinting must retain the name and WeChat ID of "The Fat Devil's Microbial Front". Any changes, including the title, are strictly prohibited without permission.

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