MUMBAI, 24 JANUARY, 2022 (GPN):

Features	Cold	Flu	COVID-19
Presenting Symptoms Most common Less common	Running nose, sneezing Fever, sore throat	Headache, running nose, fever Sore throat	Sore throat, fever, body ache, loss of smell, taste and have diarrhoa
H/o Contact tracing with COVID positive individual either as primary or secondary contact	Not present	Not present	Sometimes present
Onset of symptoms with exposure to symptomatic individuals (Cold, sore throat, cough, fever)	1-3 days	1-4 days	2-14 days
Symptoms appearing 6 weeks post the second dose of vaccination against COVID	Possible	Possible	Unlikely

Even though the symptoms are similar, the colonisation of the causative organism makes a difference. In COVID-19 there is a strong colonisation in the nasopharynx, hence bringing in the symptom of loss of smell and taste.

Algorithm to consider for COVID care is: 

Symptomatic treatment includes

• Warm sips of fluids
• Saline/Betadine gargling
• Adequate hydration
• Steam inhalation

Precautions

• Avoid crowded places
• Maintain social distancing of 6 feet
• Always wear a mask when stepping out and definitely in indoor spaces.
• Maintain hygiene by frequently washing and sanitising your hand
• Avoid any contact with your eyes, nose and mouth before washing hands when you are outdoors. After returning from outdoors, avoid any contact with your eyes, nose and mouth, until you wash and sanitise your hands.
• Consume a well-balanced diet and engage in adequate physical activities.

As we see the mutation in the SARS CoV2, the virulence of this omicron is less even though it is highly infectious. A booster dose may reduce the chances of getting infected.