Cold, Flu and Viral Illness Treatment in Antigua
Cold, Flu, and Other Viral Illness
What are the symptoms of the flu vs. the symptoms of a cold?
Flu symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue / Lethargy (tiredness).
Cold symptoms are usually milder than the symptoms of flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in any serious health problems.
What is a Virus?
A virus is a tiny agent that lives within host cells. Viruses require living cells to be able to replicate or propagate. There are thousands of viruses, some of them more common than others. For example, the common cold and flu are viruses, but Ebola and HIV are also examples of viruses. Viral infections, which may be mild in normal healthy individuals, can be very serious for people with compromised immune systems.
Some of the more common viruses include:
- Chicken pox
- Herpes
- Rotavirus
- Influenza (the flu)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- HIV, which can lead to AIDS
- COVID-19, caused by a novel Coronavirus
- Meningitis (can also be bacterial meningitis)
- Pneumonia (can also be bacterial pneumonia)
If you or any of your loved ones are experiencing any of these symptoms, please call Bowen Medical today!