Important, This Is The Difference Between People Exposed To COVID-19 And The Common Cold

Illustration of a person with the flu. (Intermediate Photo)

JAKARTA - Despite having similar symptoms, there are a number of things that distinguish the common cold and COVID-19. So, those of you who actually have a cold or flu don't have to worry about being exposed to the coronavirus by other people or parties with certain motives, especially without an antigen test or PCR procedure.

A heart and blood vessel specialist from the Indonesian Association of Cardiovascular Specialists (PERKI), Vito A. Damay said, between COVID-19 and the flu, they generally have the same symptoms of a runny nose, stuffy nose.

But in COVID-19, there is also fever, cough, uncomfortable throat, sometimes also nausea, diarrhea, reddish spots appear on the skin similar to allergies, the body feels weak, tired easily so that the sufferer wants to continue to rest.

In addition, about 87 percent of people with COVID-19 can't smell the smell of food, their bodies, or anything else or it's called anosmia. This symptom is experienced by the patient even though their nose is not blocked.

Vaccination is one way of anticipating a COVOD-19 attack. (Photo Unsplash)

"Even though they both have colds, stuffy noses, runny nose, but COVID-19 usually has symptoms of anosmia or can't smell scents or loses the sense of smell. 87 percent of people with COVID-19 have complaints of anosmia", said Vito who practices at Siloam Hospitals Lippo Village through a video message uploaded on its social media page, quoted on Sunday.

Anosmia in People Exposed to COVID-19

The cause of this anosmia is not nasal congestion or a runny nose, but because olfactory sensory neurons cannot express the gene that codes for the ACE2 receptor protein (which the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter human cells), said a study in the journal Science Advances on July 24, 2020.

As quoted from the official HMS website, one of the researchers, one of the professors of neurobiology at the Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School (HMS), Sandeep Robert Datta, found that the coronavirus changed the sense of smell in patients, not by infecting neurons directly but affecting the function of supporting cells.

Meanwhile, people with flu do not experience anosmia. Even though his nose is stuffy, he can still breathe in smells such as food. So, anosmia does not mean because the nose is blocked due to a cold.

Another difference between the flu and COVID-19 is that infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes the lungs to become wet so that spots or circles will appear on the chest X-rays of COVID-19 patients.

People with COVID-19 also experience a decrease in oxygen saturation that is not found in people with the common cold. Even though they both have symptoms of nasal congestion, the oxygen saturation on the oximeter of people who have the flu will not drop from normal values (i.e. 95-100 percent).

Blood Clotting in Patients with COVID-19

Another thing that distinguishes, COVID-19 causes an elevated D-Dimer or blood clotting disorder that is not found in people with the common cold.

Finally, to make sure someone has COVID-19 or the flu, they need to undergo a PCR test, especially if you have a history of contact with COVID-19 patients. "If you have the flu, you have to be swabbed too? Yes, because the symptoms are similar, you should do it rather than regret it, especially if you have a history of contact with positive people", said Vito as reported by Antara.

Illustration of the COVID-19 virus. (Unplus Photo)

The term "diCOVIDkan" (COVIDed = A condition where you feel healthy but the swab/PCR test result says that you're positive to COVID-19) can also refer to conditions that expose you to COVID-19 due to neglect of health protocols. Vito, who is a frequent speaker and moderator of the health event, advised that you continue to adhere to health protocols, namely wearing a mask, washing your hands regularly, keeping your distance, staying away from crowds, and reducing mobility to help prevent the transmission and spread of COVID-19.

"Not wearing a mask means you are infected with COVID. If you infect other people, it means you infect other people. Don't let you get infected, don't let you infect or get infected by others, wear a mask", he said regarding COVID-19.