Doctor says testing will make all the difference in flu season
As the flu season approaches, a doctor at a hospital in Abu Dhabi said patients should be tested for both flu and the coronavirus .
Dr Fernanda Bonilla, a consultant in infectious diseases at Cleveland Clinic, said both have varying symptoms, but PCR tests can give immediate results.
“The similarities are more than the differences, so it is very difficult to differentiate based only on the symptoms,” she said.
“Depending on the medical evaluation by your doctor, they may decide to test you for both at the same time.
“The best way to differentiate is to get tested and to be seen by your doctor so in case you are diagnosed with one, the treatment can be started immediately and it is different for both of them.”
In certain cases, more than one PCR test may be needed to rule out the coronavirus as it can take days for a blood antibody test to show a positive.
PCRs are widely regarded as the gold standard for detecting Sars-CoV-2, but studies showed the results can be inaccurate if the test is done within three days of exposure.
It is more likely to confirm infection in someone who has recently developed symptoms than a patient who was infected the day before.
Dr Bonilla said specialised diagnostic tests must be done but a doctor’s evaluation is equally important.
She advised the public on the differences and similarities between the flu and Covid-19.
“Both are respiratory illnesses with symptoms such as a fever and body pain. I would say that the lack of taste and smell is more typical of Covid-19 than influenza.”
Dr Bonilla said the number of people suffering from influenza has gone down considerably because of the precautions adopted to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Both are transmitted by aerosolised droplets from coughing, sneezing and talking, but the use of masks and quarantine rules have cut the transmission of both.
“In the US, they usually have 20 to 40 million Americans with influenza each year, but this year the number is in thousands. Here, we don’t have the numbers but for sure it is less than what we see every year.”