Oct 19, 2009

Public Service Announcement

Just thought I'd pass this along....

Difference Between Cold and H1N1 Flu


Fever
• Fever is rare with a cold.
• 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
• A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.
• A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).


Aches
• Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
• Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.


Stuffy Nose
• Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
• Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.


Chills
• Chills are uncommon with a cold.
• 60% of people who have the flu experience chills.


Tiredness
• Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
• Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.


Sneezing
• Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
• Sneezing is not common with the flu.


Sudden Symptoms
• Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.
• 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
• A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
• A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.


Sore Throat
• Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
• Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.


Chest Discomfort
• Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
• Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

8 comments:

Donna said...

Thanks for the update. We are "on patrol" for it here!

Terry said...

Thanks Meari! I'm trying to block this out. lol

Vicki in CO said...

I swear, this stuff is following me! I deal with something to do with it off and on all day at work, and now I'm reading about it on a blog?! Aaack!!! It MUST be a conspiracy to drive me crazy.

Mary said...

Thanks for the information. I seem to have a combination of both symptoms but not all of one type. I guess I had the Fluke over the weekend...lol.

We've been getting patrons in my library sounding miserable, hacking all over our materials and not trying to prevent the spread of the germs. Librarians are starting to drop like flies... not as fast as they will over the season. We got our Flu poster today to put up in our department.


Stay well!

Lillie said...

Thanks for this info.it sure helps alot

5 Foot Runt said...

Thank you for in info!

Gabi said...

Having had the swine flu (AND the normal flu couple of weeks after) I can only agree with that.
With me the swine flu started with breathing problems - a severe shortness of breath.- which should normally be treated by a doctor. But by the time I got that to know it was already over. Was over soon as the temperature came up.
My husband had a nasty cough with the swine flu.
All by all it was not as bad as predicted.
Oh, and when I thought I'm better it started all over again - this time with vomiting. It's not too bad all by all, I had worse flu's in the past. It's just an irky virus. We were all 4 sick - and showed all different symptoms. But blood results told clearly that we had the very same virus.

Shelley said...

Very helpful info. Thanks for sharing.