Invisible Pagan: Facts About Season Influenza Versus COVID-19

Fact: Influenza in humans has been around for literally thousands of years - it is thought possibly for about 6,000 years. The main school of though is that we first acquired 'flu from animals during the period when animal domestication began. However, because it has been around for so long many of us have managed to build up some immunity to it. Plus, each year vaccinations are offered to vulnerable people to help protect them from contracting the virus. Most deaths from 'flu are within the elderly populations.

Fact: COVID-19 is a brand new disease and so we have no immunity to it, this means it is highly infectious and can spread swiftly throughout the population if measures to contain it aren't taken and that is why there is so much hype about this illness and the need to quarantine people who may potentially be incubating the disease.

To my mind the measures being put in place are not overkill but very sensible protocols to try and contain and quell the spread of the virus. Having a number of direct family members who are classed as being within the "at risk" group of developing a more serious case of the illness should they catch it, including myself, I can hand on heart say I welcome all the precautions being put in place - it is far better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?

"Given that COVID-19 is a new disease, it is understandable that its emergence and spread cause confusion, anxiety and fear among the general public." World Health Organisation.

I thought I would work through definitions, signs and symptoms and so on of each virus to compare to try and clarify the differences between them.

So what is COVID-19? - It is one of the rather large family of Coronaviruses, these can affect both animals and humans depending on the strain of the virus. Many of the Coronaviruses in humans affect the respiratory tract these include our common cold, which is only a mild virus to the more serious viruses such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and now the newly emerged COVID-19. It has been classed as being a "High Consequence Infectious Disease"(HCID), of which Ebola is one and now COVID-19 has been added to that list too.

So what is Influenza? - As I said earlier, 'flu has been around for thousands of years and so scientists have built up a solid knowledge base about how the virus works. It is most commonly known as Seasonal Influenza and is described as being an acute respiratory infection found in populations worldwide. There are four specific classifications of seasonal flu viruses known as types A through to D. It is the first two - A and B which cause the seasonal epidemics.So what are these four sub-types of seasonal 'flu?

Type A; this is further broken down into sub-types which I won't go into - this is the type of strain of seasonal 'flu that has historically caused pandemics.
Type B; this has no further sub-types but lineages. This is one of the common seasonal flu strains along with Type A.
Type C; this usually only causes a mild viral infection and is not considered worrisome.
Type D; this is not known to cause illness in humans but is common in cattle.

What are the signs and symptoms of COVID-19? - If you catch this new virus the typical symptoms are of a fever, feeling tired along with a dry cough. In some cases you may experience aches and pains, a runny nose or congestion of the nasal passages, a sore throat and possibly some diarrhoea. In most cases you will only experience mild symptoms which have gradual onset. In some cases you may have the virus and not feel any ill effects at all. It is thought at the moment that 80% of those who catch the virus won't need any treatment at all and recover without incident. It is only the unfortunate few, approximately 1 in 6 of us who will become very ill with the virus and require medical treatment for breathing difficulties and any other symptoms. Those considered at high risk and therefore most likely to develop the serious symptoms and even potentially die are the elderly and those with preexisting health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and conditions that cause dysfunctional immune system responses. However, some younger people who don't seem to have any preexisting conditions have also died of this illness and scientist can't yet explain why this would be. So far approximately 2% of those who have contracted the virus have died.

What are the signs and symptoms of 'Flu? - With 'flu the most common symptoms are sudden fever, a cough which is usually a dry one, muscle and joint aches and pains, headache and tiredness along with a feeling of being very unwell (known as malaise), a runny nose and sore throat. With 'flu the cough can last for several weeks and can be quite a severe symptom that hangs about whereas the fever and other symptoms usually ease within a week. In most cases no medical intervention is required when you contract 'flu, although you will feel very weak and unwell. In severe cases though, 'flu can cause death within the "at risk" members of the population who are; people aged over 65 who live in industrialised countries, children under the age of 5 in developing countries, plus more generally in all populations worldwide the high risk groups for severe or developing complications from the virus are; pregnant women, children within the group under 59 months in age, elderly, those with chronic health conditions including but not limited to cardiac, lung, kidney, metabolic, neurodevelopmental, liver, haematological disease, cancers and immunosuppressive conditions. Plus those who work within the health care industry due to their heightened exposure to the virus. Stats relating to seasonal flu worldwide show that annually there are between 3 and 5 million severe cases of the virus which result in between 290,000 and 650,00 deaths across the globe.

How is COVID-19 transmitted? - COVID-19 is thought to spread via droplets of virus expelled from either the nose or mouth via simple exhalation, coughing, sneezing. The droplets then spread via the air onto the surrounding surfaces and objects which then can contaminate another person should they touch those surfaces or objects and pick up the contaminated droplets and then touch their face, eyes, nose or mouth. Sometimes if you are standing close enough to someone with COVID-19 and they cough or sneeze or exhale directly at you, then you could directly inhale the infected droplets. Therefore it is advised that if someone is coughing or sneezing you keep a distance of around 3 feet from them to avoid inhaling any contaminated droplets. However, it is thought that the prime transmission is through droplets and not the air - The World Health Organisation is continuing to study how infection is transmitted and so this information may be expanded upon in the future, although this is what is known so far. The problem at the moment is that those who have no symptoms or mild symptoms may pass on contamination via droplets without knowledge of having the virus. Currently it is not known how long the virus can live outside the body on objects and surfaces it could be a few hours or several days - so good hygiene practices are necessary at all times.

An important side note is that for many of us our chance of infection is very low. It is only those of us who have visited one of the areas where there are outbreaks or have been in contact with someone who has returned from one of those areas, who are considered potentially at risk and these people are told to take the risk of infection seriously because it is so new and unknown. It is important to contain the virus to prevent wider spread which is why people are being asked to be careful and self-quarantine in many cases.

How is 'Flu transmitted? - 'Flu is very easily transmitted from person to person via droplets of virus passed via coughs and sneezes from an infected person passing into the air which can spread up to a distance of 1 metre where anyone within that vicinity can breathe in the infected droplets. The virus can also be spread via poor hand washing as droplets can contaminate the hands which then spread them every time something is touched, such as hand shaking or door knobs and picked up by someone else who then touches the contaminated hand or knob etc. Flu is more commonly associated with winter months but outbreaks of flu can be at any time of the year - although less common.

What is the incubation of COVID-19? - The current thinking is that the incubation period is usually around 5 days but it could be anything within a 1 to 14 day period - which is why the quarantine period for self-isolation is currently one of 14 days.

What is the incubation of 'Flu? - The incubation period for 'flu is pretty short approximately between 1 to 4 days but is most commonly around 2 days.

Is there a vaccine for COVID-19? - No, scientists are working to try and create a vaccine and potentially drugs to combat the virus but at the moment, due to the virus being so new, there is not vaccine, treatment or specific drug available to treat the illness. Instead those who develop serious symptoms are treated in hospital with care to support the body whilst it, hopefully, fights the virus and heals itself.

Is there a vaccine for Seasonal 'Flu? - Yes and it is the best prevention against the virus. Vaccinations against seasonal 'flu have been available for around 60 years and because immunity can weaken over time it is advised that you have it annually and it is given via the form commonly given via injection, although a live version of the vaccine can also be given via a nasal spray. Vaccinations offer great protection in young healthy adults but less so in the elderly populations However, even though it may be less effective in the elderly it is still advised to have it as it may prevent the virus from causing severe illness or death due to complications from it. The World Health Organisation advise the following categories take up the annual flu vaccine;

Pregnant women
Children between 6 months and 5 years old
Elderly over the age of 65
Those with chronic medical conditions
Health care providers/workers

'Flu vaccinations evolve and vary so the World Health Organisation monitors the situation and updates the composition of the 'flu vaccines twice a year to ensure it is as effective as possible in combating the illness.

How is COVID-19 treated? - There are no treatments as such for this virus and so instead supportive care is provided to those who have the severe form of the illness and need hospital care - those with mild and moderate symptoms are usually fine without treatment.

How is Seasonal 'Flu treated? - In most cases we self treat at home with bed rest and fluids and fever control such as tepid baths, fans and taking medications such as paracetamol to lower the fever. However prevention is the best treatment and taking up the annual vaccine. In severe cases antivirals are given and further treatment in hospital depending on severity and symptoms.

Can we get COVID-19 from our companion pets such as our cats and dogs? - The current thinking is no, you can't - there have been no reports of these animals having the virus and/or passing it on to humans. Until more is known about this virus the World Health Organisation are advising us that if you are attending a live animal market, not to touch the animals or the surfaces and objects surrounding them. They are also advising to practice good hygiene when preparing food, handling raw meat, milk, animal organs and not to cross contaminate between raw and cooked foods. Plus to ensure all food is cooked thoroughly before eating, practices we should all do everyday anyway.

Can we get Seasonal 'Flu from our companion pets such as our cats and dogs? - No we can't, dogs and cats and other animals can get 'flu but it is not the same as the human virus.

How do I protect myself from contracting COVID-19? - There are some very simple practices we can take to protect ourselves and these are.

Good hand washing practice - Ensure you wash your hands regularly and thoroughly. Utilise alcohol based hand rubs if you can't access soap and water, this will kill any potential live virus that you may have picked up on your hands.
Keep your distance - It is advised that you keep a distance of around 3 feet from anyone who may be coughing or sneezing to avoid inhaling any potentially contaminated droplets that may be expelled.
Don't touch your face - to prevent any potential droplets that may have been picked up via your hands from entering the body, so don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
Catch it and bin it - If you don't have a tissue then cough into the crook of your elbow, wherever possible though cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, use a tissue and then immediately bin the used tissue responsibly in order to protect anyone around you from inhaling any expelled contaminated droplets.
Seek help - If you develop symptoms that make it difficult to breathe, have a cough and fever then seek medical advice immediately. This will ensure you take the right measures and are given the proper health care should you need it. It also helps to lock down the spread should you need hospitalisation and other people need contacting to self isolate.
Keep yourself up to date with all the latest news relating to the virus to be aware should it spread to the area where you live.

How do I protect myself from contracting Seasonal 'Flu? - The following measures are the best protections against the virus.

Get the annual vaccination.
Wash your hands thoroughly regularly and make sure you dry them properly too.
Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and dispose of tissues immediately in a responsible manner. If you don't have a tissue then cough into the crook of your elbow.
If you start to feel poorly then stay away from others to prevent spreading the illness, conversely if someone appears unwell then ensure you keep your distance from them to prevent catching the virus.
Don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

What are the comparable death rates between COVID-19 and Seasonal Flu? - "Scientists have studied seasonal flu for decades. So, despite the danger of it, we know a lot about flu viruses and what to expect each season. In contrast, very little is known about COVID-19 because it's so new. This means COVID-19 is something of a wild card in terms of how far it will spread and how many deaths it will cause."

Although there are far more cases of people catching the Seasonal 'Flu virus the death toll from 'Flu is lower than that of COVID-19 if you go by proportional statistics. That is why it is so critical to contain the virus and take the steps that are being put in place to prevent a pandemic of this new strain of corona virus. If left to gain a foothold and become as widespread as seasonal 'Flu who knows what the statistics would be for COVID-19 in comparison to 'Flu and I for one would prefer not to have to find out.

Rather than using social media and certain papers for your virus updates I would strongly advise utilising the knowledge and advice given out by the professionals such as the World Health Organisation website (which is constantly updating information and news regarding the virus) as well as the national/local health authority information and updates.

I hope this blog has helped dispel some of the misinformation and eased your mind a little.

For additional clarity I have added some info graphics below along with some information sources.

~ Brightest Blessings ~

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