Thursday, October 22, 2009

Swine Flu or Regular ol’ Sick?

From American Red Cross: The Difference between Cold and Swine Flu Symptoms

Fever
Cold: Fever is rare with a cold.
Swine Flu: Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.

Coughing
Cold: A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.
Swine Flu: A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).

Aches
Cold: Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
Swine Flu: Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.

Stuffy Nose
Cold: Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
Swine Flu: Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.

Chills
Cold: Chills are uncommon with a cold.
Swine Flu: 60% of people who have the flu experience chills.

Tiredness
Cold: Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
Swine Flu: Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.

Sneezing
Cold: Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
Swine Flu: Sneezing is not common with the flu.

Sudden Symptoms
Cold: Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.
Swine Flu: The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.

Headache
Cold: A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
Swine Flu: A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.

Sore Throat
Cold: Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
Swine Flu: Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.

Chest Discomfort
Cold: Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
Swine Flu: Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

(Lifted from the San Juan Update)

No comments:

Post a Comment