Acute respiratory infections have multiplied by five in three weeks in Spain and the epidemic wave is in the ascending phase, favored by a combination of factors. The increase in social interactions during the holidays or low temperatures encourage the circulation of viruses. “The cold and dry environment also weakens the respiratory tract and facilitates transmission,” the section head of the infectious diseases service at the Hospital del Mar, Robert Güerri, explained to RAC1 in El món.
The infectious disease specialist urges the population to follow the recommendations issued last Tuesday by the Ministry of Health “in the face of the resurgence of flu and Covid-19”: wear a mask and avoid going to work when you have respiratory symptoms, cover your nose and mouth. mouth when coughing or sneezing or intensify hand hygiene. Other experts insist on ventilation of closed spaces. Thousands of people have succumbed to infections and thousands of people with symptoms may be wondering what virus is causing their illness.
? Invalidating or not
Throughout the season, and until a couple of weeks ago, the predominant virus has been the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. The difference compared to the flu or covid is that normally the symptoms produced by the rhinovirus – which may consist of congestion or runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore or irritated throat, general malaise, even mild fever – are not disabling and in most cases do not require medical attention. But if the symptoms do not improve or there is a fever of more than 38.5 degrees for more than three days, you should go to the doctor.
? Viruses or bacteria?
Bacterial infections sneak in among the virus soup. Pharyngitis is one of them, and its symptoms can include sore throat, fever, difficulty and pain when swallowing, swollen lymph nodes, throat clearing, joint pain or fever, among others. In Catalonia, 4,006 cases of streptococcal pharyngitis have been registered (35.9% of total pharyngitis) and 349 of scarlet fever. Unlike viral infections, bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Strep throat goes away in 3 to 7 days.
? First cousins
Both Covid-19 and the flu are respiratory diseases caused by viruses, SARS-CoV-2 in the first case and influenza A and B viruses in the second. They all spread in a similar way and cause similar symptoms. Normally, headache, muscle and throat pain, as well as cough and fever. Sometimes nausea or vomiting, difficulty breathing, and diarrhea. A distinctive symptom is that, unlike the flu, Covid usually causes an early loss of taste and smell, often without a runny nose or nasal congestion. Covid symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2, while flu symptoms appear between 1 and 4 days after infection. The two diseases differ in the causes that cause them, the complications in patients and the treatment they require, but it is not possible to identify them only by the symptoms, which in both cases can be serious, mild or non-existent.
? The answer, in the pharmacy
Three years ago, antigen tests to identify the Covid-19 virus were expensive, scarce, but essential to face family gatherings with some peace of mind. Now its use is perfectly normalized and common. For less than 3 euros and in less than 10 minutes, the current combined rapid nasal test for home use detects, with almost 100% accuracy, infections of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and influenza A and B viruses. One disease does not rule out the other: covid and both types of flu can coincide in the same patient.
? Respiratory syncytial virus
According to the latest evaluation of the Department of Health, the influenza virus is the most frequent in Catalonia (22.6% of samples), followed by rhinovirus (17.9%), SARS-CoV-2 (14.6 %) and respiratory syncytial virus (13.2%). A hallmark of RSV symptomatology, a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in children, is wheezing, a high-pitched sound usually heard when exhaling. According to the latest analysis by the Ministry of Health, in Spain the group with the highest incidence of acute respiratory infections is children aged 0 to 4 years, with 3,074 cases per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 791 for the entire population.
? ¿Gripe A? ¿gripe B?
Identical symptomatology but to a different degree. Influenza A virus is the most common and also the most harmful, as it can cause serious illness. Wild waterfowl are frequent carriers of this type of virus, which is transmitted to humans and has caused devastating epidemics throughout history. On the contrary, influenza B affects exclusively humans and its symptoms are milder because the virus mutates two or three times more slowly than influenza A, allowing greater immunity to be developed. The virtual disappearance of the flu (engulfed by covid) in the 2020-21 season and its low incidence in 2021-22 has caused a reduction of antibodies in the population. Its incidence in Spain has been increasing for six weeks.
? Prevention
Vaccines are a good way to prevent infections or serious forms of respiratory infections. Many patients, however, have arrived late for the jab. The highest rates of hospital admissions for these diseases affect children under 1 year of age and those over 80, according to data from the Ministry of Health. These are segments of the population with an indication for immunization. In Catalonia, 333 people of the 544 admitted for covid are over 70 years old. The vaccination rate against coronavirus is 58% and 65% against flu in those over 80.
