Symptoms of influenza and ARVI: what is the difference between influenza and ARVI

Unlike the flu, ARVI or the common cold develops smoothly - a person gets worse gradually, over 1-2 days.

With the flu, the temperature most often jumps sharply (usually within 2-3 hours and lasts 3-4 days) to 39 degrees and above (although there are cases when the temperature does not rise at all).

Fever is 38-40C, lasting from 1 to 5 days, with a peak during the first 24 hours, and with ARVI, the body temperature rarely rises above 38 degrees.

An important feature of the difference between influenza and ARVI is the degree of general intoxication of the body.

With ARVI, the sick person feels more or less normal.
With the flu, symptoms of severe intoxication appear:
chills, headache, dizziness, feeling of exhaustion, muscle pain, pain in the abdomen and eyeballs, vomiting, sleep disturbance, hallucinations.

For ARVI, symptoms from the respiratory tract come to the fore; signs of intoxication are not leading in the clinical picture. The patient is worried about: sore throat, redness and pain in the throat, cough (usually dry, intermittent, “barking” and can turn into a wet cough with sputum), runny nose (a common symptom). With ARVI, redness of the eyes appears only if a bacterial infection is associated with the disease.

The characteristic appearance of a patient with influenza is hyperemia and puffiness of the face, the vessels of the sclera are injected, hyperemia of the conjunctiva, cyanotic mucous membranes and lips. When examining the pharynx, granularity of the mucous membrane of the soft palate and uvula is revealed. Symptoms of damage to the upper respiratory tract in the first hours are usually not pronounced and are characterized by difficulty in nasal breathing, scanty mucous-serous rhinitis, dry mucous membranes, sore throat, rawness or pain behind the sternum, and an infrequent dry cough.

From the 2-3rd day of influenza, the development of tracheobronchitis is characteristic, the main symptom of which is a dry, obsessive, often painful, raw cough, accompanied by pain behind the sternum along the trachea. Acute bronchitis with damage to large and medium-sized bronchi is observed in 20% of cases.

Acute viral and annoying ARVI

So what viruses have gathered under the banner of ARVI? Currently, more than a hundred viruses are known that can harm humans, and many are still poorly studied and undiscovered. Often a viral disease, as a complication, provokes the spread of a bacterial infection. This is explained by the fact that the body spends all its immune resources to fight the virus, forgetting about dangerous bacteria2.

Among the known ARVI viruses:

Adenoviruses. Almost all organs are affected, from the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract to inflammation of the eyes or intestines. Significantly weaken the “local” immunity, which can lead to the development of a bacterial infection.
Rhinoviruses. A common type of virus, accompanied by a habitual runny nose, which provokes nasal congestion. Geographically, the virus is usually limited to the nasal mucosa.
Rotaviruses. An unpleasant type of virus that affects the stomach and intestines. The main symptoms are diarrhea and nausea. The virus can spread and invade the respiratory system, causing a severe runny nose and cough.
Respiratory syncytial viruses. The bronchi are attacked directly. The virus manifests itself in most cases as coughing and severe wheezing.
Orthomyxoviruses. This group includes influenza, of which there are also many varieties. Influenza is often considered separately from acute respiratory viral infections, since the virus affects the entire body and produces possible severe consequences.

For a long time, medical scientists themselves could not figure out how influenza differs from acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections. Domestic doctors everywhere diagnosed acute respiratory infections at the first signs of a cold. At the moment, the abbreviation ARVI is increasingly heard, which is more logical. The concept of “acute respiratory disease” (ARI) is used if a virus cannot be identified as the causative agent of the infection. That is, the culprit of the disease is a bacterial infection. However, this happens extremely rarely; in most cases, it is viruses that provoke respiratory disease, and bacterial infection occurs as a consequence or complication2.

Considering that each virus prefers its own landing zone in the body and affects different organs, the symptoms of the disease also vary. But there are general symptoms of respiratory diseases that make it possible to distinguish between the signs of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections in adults2:

Cough, sore throat. A constant symptom of most viruses. However, there are different types of cough and different places of infection - larynx, trachea, bronchi. Given the characteristics of the symptoms, the doctor can suggest a specific virus.
Runny nose. Almost always colds and respiratory infections are accompanied by a runny nose. Most often, the nasal mucosa is affected by rhinoviruses.
Heat. ARVI does not always cause an increase in temperature. If this happens, this is the main sign that you need to see a doctor. Extremely high temperatures are a distinctive feature of the influenza and parainfluenza viruses.
Weakness, headache. The so-called intoxication of the body, in which a person becomes weaker, a headache begins, physical activity decreases, and muscles may ache.

Flu and ARVI are easier to prevent!

Currently, the most effective anti-influenza drugs recommended by the World Health Organization are blockers of viral proteins: oseltamivir and zanamivir, which suppress the activity of neuraminidase, as well as amantadine and rimantadine, which block the M2 protein, thanks to which the virus attaches to epithelial cells of the respiratory tract in order to penetrate them .

However, the processes of antigenic drift and antigenic shift lead to the emergence of influenza virus strains whose proteins are not affected by these drugs. Against such strains, some or all viral protein blockers become ineffective.

This deficiency is eliminated by drugs whose action is aimed at increasing the body’s own defenses, that is, immunomodulators. Their effect does not depend on the specific strain of the virus.

The effect of these medications is best seen if you start taking them immediately after the first flu symptoms appear - they alleviate the course of the disease at any stage.

In addition, immunomodulators have a pronounced preventive effect: if you mobilize the body’s defenses immediately when the epidemiological situation worsens, without waiting for infection, then if the virus enters, the disease will be mild or will not develop at all. This will allow you to maintain your ability to work and save money on treatment.

One of the immunomodulators that has demonstrated its anti-influenza activity over the years of use is the original domestic drug Cycloferon. Its active ingredient meglumine acridone acetate stimulates the production of special molecules in the body - interferons.

These molecules are released by the body's cells in response to the invasion of viruses and change the vital processes of the cell in such a way that it becomes immune to the virus and does not participate in its reproduction. In addition, interferons cause activation of immune cells - lymphocytes and macrophages.

Studies of Cycloferon have confirmed its effectiveness against influenza caused by various strains of the virus - the drug produces a pronounced preventive effect, and also significantly reduces the severity and duration of an existing disease.

Flu is the worst variant of ARVI

Influenza is also an acute respiratory viral infection. It includes several types - A, B and C. According to WHO data for 2019, the type A virus of different subtypes (H1N1 and H3) is most typical for Russia7. Accurately diagnosing the flu itself can be difficult, and identifying a specific virus without the use of special techniques is almost impossible. A lot of laboratory tests and extensive diagnostics will be required.

Influenza infection occurs according to the standard pattern of any respiratory viral infection - airborne or contact. Influenza has a high degree of “contagiousness” - upon contact with an infected person, the chance of becoming infected will be approximately 50%. This is why influenza can cause epidemics and even pandemics3.

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) and influenza continue to be relevant for our country during the winter season.
The season for the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza, during which there is the greatest probability of an epidemic rise in the incidence of influenza, calculated on the basis of long-term observations, begins in December of the current year and continues until February of the following year. During the pre-epidemic season, preventive measures such as vaccination are taken. It should be remembered that the pathogens of ARVI and influenza are transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets.

What is the difference between FLU and ARVI.

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by several types of influenza viruses (A, B and C).

Acute respiratory disease (ARI), or acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI), covers a large number of diseases that are largely similar to each other and have a similar clinical picture to influenza, but these diseases are caused by more than 200 completely different viruses.

HOW TO DISTINGUISH SYMPTOMS OF FLU from ARVI SYMPTOMS?

FLU:

Sometimes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea occur
Accompanied by frequent sneezing.
Eye redness is common
On the second day, a painful cough and chest pain appear.
Causes a sharp increase in temperature to very high numbers, increased sensitivity to light, aches in muscles and joints, as well as severe headaches
Considering that the influenza virus affects blood vessels, bleeding from the gums and nasal passages is possible.

ARVI:

The disease begins gradually and is most often characterized by fatigue.
The temperature rarely rises above 38°C.
It comes unexpectedly and completely takes over your body in a matter of hours.
After suffering from the flu, you can become infected with another disease over the next 3 weeks; such diseases are most often very severe and can be fatal
A runny nose and/or sore throat when swallowing immediately appears.
After suffering from an acute respiratory viral infection, you may get sick over the next 3 weeks, but unlike the condition after the flu, these diseases will be milder

Flu is a disease that everyone is familiar with; there are probably no people who have not suffered from it at least once in their lives. For those who have survived the flu safely, it seems that there is nothing terrible about such a common illness, but this is far from the case. The flu is insidious and dangerous, first of all, due to the development of serious post-influenza complications (bronchitis, pneumonia, damage to the heart muscle, etc.), as well as the exacerbation of existing chronic diseases. Deaths cannot be ruled out. This is especially true for weakened people, the elderly, and children.

The best and most effective protection against influenza is immunization. Its advantages are obvious. First of all, this is the strict specificity of vaccines to the most relevant strains of the influenza virus during the season. Vaccinal prophylaxis is more than 2 times more effective than nonspecific means of prevention. It does not require significant material costs, since the vaccination is carried out once or twice (for children from 6 months to 3 years). Vaccines have been used for more than 50 years, during which time their safety and effectiveness have increased many times over. Vaccines with current strains of the influenza virus have been released for the upcoming season. In the Frunzensky district, it is planned to cover up to 50% of the population with flu vaccination; currently 36% of the population has already been vaccinated, including 42% of children of organized groups. The calm epidemic situation allows vaccination to continue. There is still the opportunity to get vaccinated for both children and adults. Vaccination is free. Effective vaccines (Sovigripp, Ultrix, Flu-M) are available in all clinics of the Frunzensky district. Vaccination rooms operate in 2 shifts. The procedure for obtaining access to vaccination has been expedited as much as possible for patients. Mobile vaccination teams work in medical vehicles at the Kupchino and Mezhdunarodnaya metro stations, in which this procedure will take a few minutes. Don't miss the opportunity to get vaccinated, the vaccination campaign season is coming to an end (until the end of November). Protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu and it will not disrupt your plans and your health!

The original material is located on the website of the Municipal entity "Kupchino"

What is the difference between influenza and ARVI?

How to distinguish influenza from ARVI? Given the similar symptoms, it can be difficult to immediately identify the flu, but it is possible. The main difference between influenza and ARVI and acute respiratory infections lies in the severity and strength of symptoms. Flu symptoms are always vivid; the disease develops quickly and, without proper control, quickly causes harm to the body. Signs of the disease can be detected within a day after infection.

Each person needs to independently learn to find the differences between influenza and ARVI. If a person observes the following symptoms, then there is a high chance of having the influenza virus3:

Headache as the first symptom of the disease
Severe weakness, body aches
A sharp and severe increase in body temperature, not typical for a common cold (~40˚C)
Chills, sweating, pain, pain in the eyes
Redness, watery eyes
Develops a fear of bright lights
Lack of appetite
Nausea, even vomiting
Common symptoms: sore throat, cough, runny nose do not appear on the first day, but progress faster
Absence or mild sneezing
High intoxication of the body
Development of complications
Duration of the disease - from seven days

How diagnostic tests work

Molecular genetic methods, in particular polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are capable of detecting the genome of the pathogen in a smear from the nasopharynx of a sick person.

PCR is a fast, direct diagnostic method that can detect specific regions of the genome of microbes, that is, distinguishing them from each other. The PCR method is essentially a rapid test for influenza and other respiratory infections.

The basis of the method is repeated selective copying (amplification) of a certain section of DNA/RNA in order to obtain such an amount of genetic material that will be sufficient for visual detection. In this case, only a given portion of the genome is copied many times. Since the genome is a unique part of each organism, PCR allows you to accurately determine which virus caused the disease. Consequently, the doctor, based on the results of this analysis, will be able to prescribe treatment that will be effective against a specific virus.

How to distinguish it from the flu

Seasonal influenza is also similar in symptoms to coronavirus. However, there are still some differences. First, influenza is characterized by a sharp deterioration in the patient’s condition, while with COVID-19, symptoms appear gradually and their severity increases.

In the vast majority of those infected, the flu causes a rise in body temperature to 38–39 degrees. With coronavirus, the indicator depends on the form of the disease.

With a mild degree of damage to the body, a slight deviation from the norm is recorded - about +37...+37.5 degrees.
In severe cases, the temperature can rise to 40 and above.

For acute respiratory viral infections, you can lower the temperature with the help of tablets, suspensions and other medications containing paracetamol or ibuprofen. If a patient has coronavirus, the usual antipyretic drugs often bring little or no relief. The temperature either does not drop completely, or drops for a short period of time, and then again reaches critical values.

For both influenza and COVID-19, a characteristic symptom is a cough. However, its type varies. COVID-19 is always accompanied by a dry cough, and the infected person feels shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Influenza is characterized equally by a wet cough with copious sputum production and a dry one.

Another significant difference between coronavirus and seasonal types of influenza is the possibility of the disease occurring in the complete absence of symptoms. The infected person does not experience any discomfort and does not even notice that he is sick. But it remains very dangerous for others, as it is capable of infecting a large number of people.

Prevention of ARVI and influenza

During a flu epidemic, in autumn, winter and during the period of spring vitamin deficiencies, when the likelihood of contracting ARVI increases, it is necessary to adhere to simple rules.

Follow a study and rest schedule, do not overwork, spend more time in the fresh air.
Sit less and move more.
Ventilate the room often and do wet cleaning.
Wash your hands thoroughly before eating, after returning from the street, and after using shared objects if there is a sick person in the family.
If relatives become ill, isolate them in a separate room if possible and do not forget about masks.
Limit visiting crowded places and public events, where the virus spreads very quickly due to large crowds of people.
During an epidemic, it is recommended to rinse your nose and gargle at least two to three times a day. VIFERON Gel can also be used as a preventive measure.

If the disease strikes, remember that the use of antiviral drugs is a mandatory standard in the fight against ARVI, including influenza. In this way, it will be possible to stop the development of severe forms of the disease, reduce the percentage of complications, avoid hospitalization and prevent the transmission of the pathogen to others.

Author of the article

Belyaev Dmitry Alexandrovich

General doctor

Sources used: https://tass.ru, https://cyberleninka.ru

Nesterova I.V. “Interferon drugs in clinical practice: when and how”, “Attending Physician”, September 2017

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How is ARVI transmitted?

They are transmitted primarily by airborne droplets, that is, through the air along with the sputum of a sick person when he sneezes or coughs.
Flu epidemic

An influenza epidemic occurs in our country every year. We are learning to resist the disease from the experience of last season. Lyudmila Tsybalova, Deputy Director for Research at the Influenza Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, tells the story.

Viruses cause inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, throat, trachea and bronchi.

Should you go to the doctor with cold symptoms?

Only a doctor can recognize a virus and distinguish it from a bacterial infection. In addition, the doctor has information on the flu viruses that are widespread this year, which, by the way, can masquerade as a common cold. And one more plus - only a doctor can provide a sick leave certificate, which will allow you to recover at home, and not endure the disease on your feet.

As for treatment, the therapist and pediatrician prescribe medications to eliminate the pathogen and symptoms (antipyretics, sprays for the throat, nose, gargling, inhalations), selecting medications that are appropriate for the patient’s age and weight. Another task of the doctor is to prevent complications. By self-medicating, you are simply wasting time. Alas, jokes with health too often end in tragedy!

Differences between diseases by duration

Symptoms of ARVI appear 1–4 days after contact with the pathogen. The usual incubation period for colds is 2–3 days, after which patients begin to feel the first symptoms. Coronavirus takes longer to manifest – about 5–14 days. During the incubation period, the infected person does not experience discomfort. If he can approximately determine when contact with the carrier occurred, then the length of the incubation period will determine the type of disease.

Coronavirus can also be distinguished by the duration of the disease. For colds, relief occurs within 3–7 days. Flu goes away without complications within 10–14 days. When infected with coronavirus, characteristic symptoms can be observed within 2-4 weeks. The duration of the disease directly depends on the form of the disease, the timeliness and correctness of the prescribed treatment, as well as on the general condition of the body and the immune system of the infected person.

Another difference between a standard ARVI and a coronavirus is the likelihood and timing of complications, primarily pneumonia. The coronavirus progresses quickly, so severe lung damage can be observed as early as 9–15 days after infection. With ARVI, pneumonia also appears, but with seasonal influenza this complication develops somewhat later. It is usually provoked by the addition of a bacterial infection. In addition, the degree of damage to the lungs during ARVI is much less, and COVID-19 affects almost completely alveolar tissue, which complicates treatment and increases the recovery period.