Many people use flu and cold imterchangebly. However, there are differences between them. The table shows the differences of symptoms between them. One main difference is that the cold is centred on the nose, while the flu makes you sick all over.
| Symptom | Common Cold | Flu |
|---|---|---|
| Virus | One of 100 serotypes of rhinovirus | Of the Orthomyxoviridae virus family |
| Fever | Slight | Severe |
| Chills | Rare | Common |
| Fatigue | Mild | Moderate to severe |
| Suddenness | Gradually | Quick |
| Coughing | Hacking, productive cough (phlegm) | Dry, unproductive cough (no phlegm) |
| Sneezing | Common | Rare |
| Headache | Rare | Common |
| Chest discomfort | Mild | Severe |
| Sore throat | Common | Rare |
| Stuffy nose | Common | Rare |
| Diagnosis | Impossible | Possible |
| Vaccination | Impossible | Possible |
| Severity | Usually mild | Serious health problems |
Both illnesses are airborne and contagious. However, the flu is more contagious because of its short incubation period. The most common way to catch the flu or a cold is to inhale droplets from coughs or sneezes. Of the two, sneezes expel a significantly larger concentration of virus "cloud" than coughing. The virus "cloud" is partly invisible and falls at a rate slow enough to last for hours—with part of the droplet nuclei evaporating and leaving much smaller and invisible "droplet nuclei" in the air. The droplets can also stay on surfaces for hours
The incubation period (time between becoming infected and developing symptoms) is 1-3 days. However, the infectious period (time during which an infected person can infect others) begins about 1 day before symptoms begin, and continues for the first 5 days of the illness. Thus, it is possible for viral transmission without symptoms.
Scientists makes flu vaccines of the strain that they expect every year. As the number of strains that causes flu every year is low, vaccination is possible. However, unanticipated strains will cause the vaccine to fail
However, for the common cold, too many viruses can cause it, and they mutate quite frequently during reproduction, causing a constantly changing virus strains. Thus, immunizations is unlikely.
The best way to avoid the cold is to advoid contact with existant sufferers, washing your hands thoroughly and regularly. Also avoid touching the mouth and face. Anti-bacterial doesn't work as it is caused by viruses, while anti-bacterial only works on bacteria. However, the mechanical action of washing will get rid of the viruses.
There is no cure for the common cold. Treatment is limited to symptomatic supportive options, maximizing the comfort of the patient, and limiting complications and harmful sequelae. The most reliable treatment is a combination of fluids and plenty of rest.
The common cold is self-limiting, and the host's immune system effectively deals with the infection. Within a few days, the body's humoral immune response begins producing specific antibodies that can prevent the virus from infecting cells. Additionally, as part of the cell-mediated immune response, leukocytes destroy the virus through phagocytosis and destroy infected cells to prevent further viral replication. In healthy, immunocompetent individuals, the common cold resolves in seven days on average.
People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink a lot of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as paracetamol to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu.
©Common Cold Squad Last updated on: 25 March 2008