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The flu and the COVID-19 coronavirus appear to be very similar. After all, both are respiratory diseases and are contagious
The flu and the COVID-19 coronavirus appear to be very similar. After all, both are respiratory diseases that are transmitted through contact with infectious respiratory droplets. Beyond that, however, they differ in important ways. What are some of these differences and why are they important?
The flu and the COVID-19 coronavirus appear to be very similar. After all, both are respiratory diseases and are contagious
[Sursa: PixaBay]
Risk of infection
One of the differences between COVID-19 and the flu is that the former appears to be more contagious than the seasonal flu. One person infected with the flu spreads the disease to 1.3 other people.
With COVID-19, one infected person spreads the disease to 2 to 2.5 other people.
Disease severity and mortality rate
COVID-19 also appears to cause serious illness at a higher rate than seasonal flu. Part of this difference can be attributed to the fact that COVID-19 is caused by a new type of coronavirus to which people have no immunity. Instead, many people have at least some level of immunity to the seasonal flu, which in most cases is enough to prevent hospitalization and complications.
Likewise, COVID-19 is deadlier than the flu. The death rate for the flu is about 0.1 percent. The mortality rate for COVID-19 is now estimated to be around 1.4 to 4.5 percent, with the risk of death being significantly higher in older people than in younger people.
The flu and the COVID-19 coronavirus appear to be very similar. After all, both are respiratory diseases and are contagious [Sursa: PixaBay]
Seasonal character
Seasonal flu, as the name suggests, comes with changing climate conditions. Flu viruses circulate year-round, but the number of new flu cases typically increases in the colder months and decreases in the warmer months. This does not mean that cold weather causes the flu; Rather, the cool weather that is drawing people indoors, along with other changes, is a contributing factor.
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It is possible that COVID-19 could become a seasonal illness, similar to the flu. But experts warn that warmer weather is unlikely to banish the disease, at least for now, given the ongoing pandemic. COVID-19 is a new disease and there are many millions of people around the world who have not yet been affected by it. This large pool of potential hosts could promote sustained transmission during summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. However, many factors determine the seasonality of diseases and more time is needed before conclusions can be drawn that COVID-19 is a seasonal disease.
The germ
A more obvious difference between influenza and COVID-19 is their pathogens. Influenza viruses belong to a family of viruses known as Orthomyxoviridae. COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, which belongs to the Coronaviridae family. Both families consist of RNA viruses, but differ particularly in the protein coat that covers the RNA.
Specifically, influenza viruses express two surface antigens (foreign proteins) – hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), which trigger an immune response. The precise form of these antigens changes from time to time, leading to the periodic emergence of new, more virulent influenza viruses with the potential to cause a pandemic. The surface of SARS-CoV-2 does not have these antigens. Rather, like other types of coronaviruses, the outer surface is dotted with spikes of glycoproteins that give these viruses a crown-shaped or coronal appearance. The offset glycoproteins are responsible for triggering the immune response and perform the crucial function of allowing the coronavirus particle to enter cells where it replicates.
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