It’s considered as a respiratory illness that’s generally caused by influenza viruses. It’s contagious.
While most cases of flu are mild to severe, there are times that it can lead to death. Flu can affect any person, regardless of age, sex, race, and health status.
People who are 65 years and older are more vulnerable to it. Those who are diagnosed with chronic medical conditions like heart diseases, diabetes, and asthma are also at risk of acquiring it.
Take note that the flu is different from a cold. It usually comes on suddenly along with the following symptoms:
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Fever
- Body aches
- Runny nose
- Fatigue
- Headache
Flu isn’t the same as COVID-19. Although some of their symptoms are the same, COVID-19 comes with other signs and symptoms like loss of smell and taste.
Additionally, a person infected with COVID-19 develops symptoms around 5 days after the infection. The symptoms can appear as early as the 2nd day after infection or as late as the 14th day. In comparison, the symptoms of flu appear from the 1st to 4th day after infection.
Because these things can be quite confusing for people with no medical background, it’s important to reach out to a healthcare professional if you feel that something’s wrong with you.
There’s a long list of FDA-licensed vaccines you can get for the flu. When it comes to COVID-19, experts are still trying to develop vaccines for it.