The Differences Between Swine Flu and Coronavirus Novel
The coronavirus or COVID-19 novel from Wuhan, China, has now infected more than 45,000 cases globally and claimed more than 1,000 lives. In the midst of an outbreak that resembles SARS, China and surrounding countries also face an outbreak of swine flu. How to distinguish between coronavirus in Wuhan or COVID-19 with swine flu (H1N1)?
Difference between coronavirus (COVID-19) and swine flu (H1N1)
Swine flu or H1N1 is a type of respiratory infection that attacks humans. The disease, better known as the H1N1 influenza virus, is normally caused by pigs, both on farms and through veterinarians. However, in certain cases, the swine flu virus can be transmitted from person to person.
When compared with COVID-19 coronavirus, the rate of swine flu transmission is quite high because it is easily transmitted between humans. For example, swine flu sufferers who sneeze can spread bacteria and viruses through the air.
However, the swine flu virus has been proven to survive on the surface of inanimate objects, such as tables and door handles, so it is quite different from the transmission of the novel coronavirus.
Let's recognize what are the differences between COVID-19 and H1N1 that you need to know about so you don't recognize them wrong.
1. Location of COVID-19 and H1N1 findings
One of the things that distinguish between COVID-19 aka the coronavirus novel with swine flu is the location of the first outbreak. Reporting from the CDC website, the swine flu outbreak was first discovered in 2009 in North America right when spring was underway.
When compared with swine flu, a coronavirus novel or COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, precisely on December 31, 2019.
However, both COVID-19 and H1N1 then expanded globally and infected many people in countries other than where the virus was first discovered.
2. Differentiating the symptoms of novel coronavirus and swine flu
In addition to the location of the first finding, there is a slight difference between the coronavirus COVID-19 related symptoms caused.
For Coronavirus COVID-19, the symptoms experienced by sufferers are almost similar to the common cold, such as
- high fever more than 38 ° C
- difficulty breathing
- coughs and colds
- sore throat
- have traveled to China
Meanwhile, swine flu also shows symptoms that are slightly different from COVID-19 such as:
- fever suddenly and not always occur
- dry cough and runny nose
- headache
- vomiting and diarrhea
- watery and red eyes
However, the difference in symptoms between the two diseases lies in fever. If the initial symptoms of COVID-19 are marked by high fever, swine flu does not always occur.
Swine flu that does not get treatment properly causes serious complications, such as pneumonia, shortness of breath, convulsions, and confusion, until death. Therefore, some people sometimes panic and experience a misdiagnosis when an outbreak of swine flu disease because the symptoms are almost similar to COVID-19.
If you experience some of the above symptoms, immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment.
3. Treatment methods
Seeing from the symptoms arising from the COVID-19 coronavirus and swine flu, you might assume that the treatment will not be much different. In fact, this is not the case.
Coronavirus COVID-19 until now does not have a special drug. However, the treatment that has been undertaken so far has been more focused on alleviating symptoms experienced by sufferers in order to fight viral infections in the body.
Meanwhile, the condition of swine flu sufferers can improve within 7-10 days after receiving treatment. For both the COVID-19 coronavirus and swine flu, the treatment aims to relieve the symptoms experienced by patients so as not to experience complications.
Even so, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four types of drugs to treat swine flu, namely:
- Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
- Zanamivir (Relenza)
- Peramivir (Rapivab)
- Baloxavir (Xofluza)
The four drugs are used to fight H1N1 virus infection but do not rule out the possibility that virus cells will form resistance to the drug. Therefore, during the treatment period, doctors often add antiviral drugs to people at high risk.
4. Animal intermediaries for viruses
Both the COVID-19 coronavirus and the swine flu, both of which are from animal infection. However, of course, the types of animals that mediate viruses to the human body in these two diseases are different.
In the COVID-19 coronavirus, the source of the virus allegedly came from bats. Then, the virus cells in bats develop in the body of the pangolin, which is one of the wild animals that are quite popular to consume in China.
As a result, when the animal meat is consumed, virus cells also mutate in the human body. From humans who are first infected then spread to others through respiratory droplets in the air.
Meanwhile, as the name implies, swine flu originates from pigs, both living and dead. Infected pigs usually show symptoms such as:
- fever
- cough, which sounds like barking
- difficulty breathing
- depressed and look no appetite.
Even so, not a few pigs infected with swine flu actually showed no signs at all.
From the types of animal intermediaries, you can see the difference between COVID-19 coronavirus and swine flu. However, further research is needed at this time to ascertain the wildlife that is the source of the COVID-19 virus.
5. Transmission of disease outbreaks
Finally, the difference between COVID-19 coronavirus and swine flu is the transmission. Although both are of animal origin, swine flu can be transmitted through live pigs and dead pigs.
In addition, swine flu transmission can also occur through animal feed and contaminated inanimate objects, such as clothing, knives, kitchen utensils, and shoes. In fact, this outbreak is also thought to spread among pigs through close contact or items near infected animals.
Infected swarms of pigs, including those already given the vaccine, are also at risk of this disease even though it does not initially show serious symptoms.
On the other hand, COVID-19 coronavirus can transmit the virus from sufferers to other people when the transmission distance is close enough, which is about 1-2 meters or 6 feet.
Like swine flu, the transmission of COVID-19 coronavirus is thought to originate from droplets of saliva produced by an infected person when coughing or sneezing. Then, the droplets can stick to the mouth or nose of people who are close to the patient until inhaled into the lungs.
In addition, according to a number of reports from the media in China revealed that COVID-19 transmission can occur through the air. This can occur if aerosol transmissions are mixed with viruses and respiratory droplets from infected patients. As a result, the mixture makes the virus quickly inhaled by people who might not have been infected at first.
Until now it has not really been proven 100% scientifically whether a person can be infected by touching items that are contaminated with a virus.
Between COVID-19 with swine flu is not so much different. Therefore, it is better if you feel unwell and experience the above symptoms, immediately consult a doctor to get treatment.
