Common cold, seasonal allergies, and COVID-19 all share many symptoms in common. COVID-19, like the common cold, is caused by viruses. While SARS-CoV-2 is the cause behind the COVID infection, rhinoviruses are the most common cause of the common cold. With the new Covid Omicron strain spreading fast and the winter allergy season on, it becomes important for you to understand the difference between the two-
| Symptom or Sign | COVID-19 | Cold |
| Cough | Dry Cough | Cough is common in cold |
| Muscle aches | Common | Not so common |
| Tiredness | Common in Covid | Not generally seen in Cold |
| Sneezing | Rarely | Usual |
| Sore throat | Common | Common |
| Runny nose | Common | Common |
| Fever | Common | Fever may occur when the cold intensifies |
| Diarrhea | May occur | No |
| Nausea or vomiting | May Occur | No |
| New loss of taste or smell | Very common | May occur |
Preventing Covid, Allergies, and Flu
- Get a COVID-19 vaccine, that’s your first line of defense. Wear a face mask in closed spaces, which will help slow the progression of the disease.
- Know your triggers which will go a long way in preventing allergies. Understanding your triggers is as vital as combatting allergies; your best bet is to know them. These triggers could be a pollen onslaught or even a new incense stick you just bought.
- Never underestimate pollution, which can be a major trigger. This pollution can include vehicular pollution or even industrial chemical pollution. Who can forget the worst industrial disaster that dates back to 1984 in Bhopal, which took thousands of lives and maimed hundreds of thousands for life?
| National Pollution Prevention Day This day is observed yearly on December 2 to commemorate those who died in the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. One of the world’s most catastrophic industrial mishaps. The disaster, which killed over 20,000 people, occurred as a result of a leak of over 45 tons of Methyl Isocyanate gas in the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide facility midnight of December 2–3, 1984 |
Keeping Allergies and Flu away
- Stay Away from Dusty Roads
If you are cycling, running, or walking outside, it is better to avoid roads – extremely busy ones or ones under construction. This can help you avoid inhaling excessive levels of contaminants, which can be hazardous to your lungs.
- Go Out in the Sun, Don’t Miss on Vitamin D
Though we all agree that the days are short during the winters, that doesn’t deter us from getting our daily dose of Vitamin D. Ensure you get adequate time in the sunshine. Soaking yourself in the sun will keep the winter blues and SAD (Seasonal affective Disorder) away.
- Eat Healthily
In India winter season starts with Diwali and goes on till Makar Sankranti. This period also includes Christmas and the New Year, where we all love to indulge in eating those extra calories and ditching that diet, but wait, believe in moderation. Balance your holiday diet with a healthy diet that includes a good bowl of seasonal vegetables, warm soups, broths, and the desi peanut chikki.
Consult an expert on Gigadocs
Though flu and pollution-induced allergies are pretty common, we must never ignore them. Air pollution is omnipresent, so much so that they pose a threat and risk to health. If not addressed on time, air pollution allergy can aggravate allergic respiratory diseases and many other pollution-related diseases, including heart diseases, lung cancer, asthma, stroke, and worsen the chronic inflammation of the airways damaging the lungs.
It’s never too late to consult a specialist for your allergies and to even know its triggers. Gigadocs offers you at-home digital consultation from the comfort and safety of your home with the best infectious diseases experts around you.
To book, your consultation you need to download the Gigadocs app from-
- IOS App – apple.co/2W2iG4V
- Android App – bit.ly/33AQoRC
To know more and schedule a Virtual Consultation demo, e-mail, at info@gigadocs.com
