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As the eighth wave of Covid-19 continues to grow and temperatures drop, the only way to know if you’re infected or have a common cold is a test (photo taken in Guangxi, China on September 7).
“Coronavirus-A” Revival “. In the middle of the week, executives agreed, the months ahead have been quiet Covid-19 are behind us. ” The incidence rate exceeds 570 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with a reproduction rate of R 1.2. “, government spokesman Oliver Veran pointed out Wearing masks in transport.
This can be seen in the statistics published by Santé Public France. The public body announced on Wednesday, October 12, that it had identified 73,639 cases the previous day, raising the seven-day average to 56,947 cases per day. This means that this eighth wave is approaching each of us little by little.
Apart from the fact that autumn is well on its way this October, Covid is not the only virus spreading. Bronchitis appears on the landscape earlier than expected, seasonal flu is seen, not to mention the traditional cold. Many people these days wonder what they might have caught when they develop a cough, fever or runny nose. Without rushing into the labs like last year.
Between Omicron and a cold, the symptoms are often the same
A finding that is increasingly true People get vaccinated, receives booster doses and becomes habituated to the presence of the virus. Thus, as wrote recently The New York TimesCiting University of California virologist Peter Chin-Hong, people with Sars-CoV-2 have been affected by symptoms, along with the Omicron subtype BA.5, which is most prevalent this fall. marked less than the time of the first waves.
As with the flu or cold, sufferers now experience general fatigue, difficulty breathing, cough and fever. But much less than before Loss of taste or smellSigns point to a SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 and 2021.
Conclusion: The only way to be confirmed is to test, RT-PCR is very definitive.
Isolation, positive test and sick leave
As a reminder, French health authorities are actually calling people to undergo a screening test if they develop symptoms suggestive of Covid. Isolate yourselfWhile strengthening preventive measures (wearing a mask, teleporting as much as possible, limiting social interactions, etc.).
If you have only resorted to a self-test and it turned out to be positive, the Ministry of Health advises you to remain in isolation while confirming this in a pharmacy (by antigenic test) or in a laboratory (PCR). The latter is more useful in diagnosing Covid because it is more sensitive, as the genetic material is amplified in the laboratory.
Once a person with symptoms tests positive, they must self-isolate for seven days, or ten days if unvaccinated. Then, a negative test five days later helps break isolation early (or seven for those without a complete vaccination schedule). It should be noted that a positive test makes it possible to obtain a termination of employment online in case of excessive symptoms or inability to telework. A dedicated service Provided by health insurance.
Has covid become a common cold?
But in the context of normalizing symptoms, can we assume that SARS-CoV-2 has become an ordinary virus, a common cold? The question arises because right now, the world is getting used to the presence of Covid, for example Joe Biden Talk about an epidemic “done” In America.
aside and explained in the columns of HuffPost Virologist Bruno Lina, “Every time you can avoid an infection, even if it’s mild, it’s better. Being infected with a pathogen has no short-term benefit. »
Additionally, Dr. Christian Lehmann to add liberation Covid has killed more than seasonal flu since the start of 2022, and it’s happening Extreme forms For an even more poorly known long term. “Hearing impairments, attention disorders, extreme fatigue, breathing difficulties, malaise, speech and concentration difficulties…”, the general practitioner cites the lingering effects of covid infection, which is admittedly rare, but which should still be treated differently from a normal cold with Sars-covi-2. So should be tested.
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