GP points out key difference in symptoms between Covid variant and flu
by Helena Vesty · Manchester Evening NewsA GP has spoken out on the key differences that will differentiate between whether people are suffering from Covid or the flu.
Dr Helen Wall, a Bolton GP, has urged those eligible to get vaccinated to help combat against the 'tripledemic' this winter of RSV, Covid-19 and flu. It comes as a new Covid variant is spreading across Europe and the UK.
And Dr Wall, who is the clinical director of population health in Greater Manchester, said that GPs are seeing a rise in illnesses as the new XEC coronavirus variant spreads. Some researchers have said that ‘XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the next few months’.
The Bolton GP says she has observed that more recent coronavirus cases appear more flu-like in nature in comparison to past variants. Lately, Covid seems to have been exhausting people so they’re ‘wiped out’.
“We could well be seeing the new Covid variant in practice,” says Dr Wall. “At the moment, it seems to be a bit more flu-like than previous iterations of Covid, with a high temperature, a cough, aching body, headache.
“Some of the symptoms in the past were more cough and cold symptoms, but at the moment, Covid does seem to be wiping people out.”
Dr Wall said there does seem to be a key difference to tell whether a patient is suffering from flu or Covid. She said that while it’s difficult to separate symptoms, as many overlap with colds and flu, those suffering from the latter tend to be 'extremely unwell' and bed bound.
“We’re seeing an increase in respiratory infections, you see that every time the weather changes, and there’s always a rise when the children go back to school,” Dr Wall explained.
“But whether that’s Covid is really difficult to say because a lot of the symptoms blur together with other illnesses that are prevalent at this time of year. Whether it’s Covid versus flu is hard to separate.
“People who have the flu tend to be extremely unwell. Sometimes, people say they’ve got the flu but have actually got a bad cold.
“Generally, if you’ve got true flu, you’re bed bound. With Covid, you might actually be quite well. You might be coughing and having other symptoms, but able to go about your business – and you might be unintentionally spreading it to people who are vulnerable.”
Plea to get vaccinated
More than 2.8 million people in the north west are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine and 4.2 million people are eligible for the flu vaccination ahead of winter.
This year, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that adults aged 65 and over, residents in older adult care homes and those with underlying health conditions aged 6 months to 64 years will be eligible for both flu and Covid-19 vaccinations, based on the latest scientific evidence.
As in previous years, the government has also decided that frontline health and social care staff will be offered the Covid-19 and flu vaccines, with staff in older adult care homes being offered the Covid-19 jab.
Dr Wall says making sure people get vaccinated against what the NHS has dubbed the ‘tripledemic’ of winter illnesses is vital. This year, the NHS is offering the new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, as well as Covid and flu jabs – but it comes after a downturn in the number of people getting their winter vaccines in Greater Manchester.
“We only know for sure about the cases that we see in hospitals, involving the sickest people, because that’s where most of the testing is happening,” the doctor told the M.E.N. “There may be a milder version circulating in the community which people don’t know about because they’ve not tested, that’s the difficulty we’re dealing with.
“That’s why we’re spending lots of time and effort on the vaccine programme to make sure we’re in the best position for whatever does come this winter. We’ve seen a downturn in Greater Manchester for Covid vaccinations.
The full list of who is eligible for vaccinations and from when
The NHS recommends flu vaccination for several groups:
- Everyone aged 65 years and over
- Individuals under 65 with certain medical conditions, including children and babies over six months of age
- All pregnant women
- All children aged two and three years (provided they were aged two or three on 31 August 2024)
- All primary school children
- Some secondary school children (Years 7 to 11)
- Care home residents
- Carers
- Those living with people who are immunocompromised
- Frontline health and social care workers
Those eligible for an autumn Covid booster are:
Article continues below
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in the Green Book, including pregnant women
- frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes for older adults
- pregnant women
- all children aged two or three years on 31 August 2024
- primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from six months to less than 18 years