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Why Is India Seeing A Concoction Of Covid, Cold, And Flu? Here Is What Doctors Say
Having fever with symptoms like cough, sore throat and fatigue at this time of the year (winter) can be down to viral infections like common cold, influenza or even Covid-19. Amid a simultaneous rise in respiratory diseases and Covid cases, with concerns over the new JN.1 sub-variant, it can become hard to differentiate between the infections as they mimic common cold symptoms. While doctors said it is challenging to differentiate clinically between illnesses caused by the JN.1 variant and other respiratory viruses, they said people should not panic and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour as most of the Covid cases were mild.
Overlapping Symptoms Make Detection DifficultIndian Medical Association (IMA) national president Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal said respiratory illnesses like flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) peak during the winter months and thus more people opt for testing.
"During winters, most households will have someone or the other suffering from common cold. That is why people are going for checkups and tests, and Covid cases are emerging. Covid was always there but people were not going for testing," Dr Agarwal told ABP Live.
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Dr Rohit Kumar Garg, infectious diseases specialist, Amrita Hospital, said all the illnesses affect the upper or lower respiratory tract and have overlapping symptoms.
"Both Covid-19 (caused by JN.1 variant) and flu-like illnesses come with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, and fatigue. Covid might have additional symptoms like gastroenteritis, and loss of taste or smell, while flu may cause more muscle pain," Dr Garg said.
The best approach, Dr Garg said, is to get tested for Covid-19 or other respiratory viruses if one is experiencing any symptoms.
However, Dr Ishwar Gilada, infectious disease expert, highlighted that flu tests were currently very expensive, costing around Rs 5,000. "The government should bring down the cost of flu tests. Flu vaccines are also very expensive and not widely available. The government needs to have a contingency plan for pandemics. Pandemic preparedness is not just Covid preparedness," he said.
India registered 628 new cases in the past 24 hours, including 63 JN.1 infections. The active caseload has now jumped to 4,054, according to health ministry data. On the other hand, India has registered 5,350 H1N1 cases and 101 deaths in 2023 till October 31, as per National Centre for Disease Control data. This is the second highest number of cases recorded since 2020. India saw 13,202 cases and 410 deaths due to H1N1 in 2022.
Dr Gilada said preliminary assessment showed that JN.1 caused mild infection and people were recovering in 3-4 days, making it harder to differentiate between flu cases. "Around 92 per cent of those infected are not even visiting the doctors and recovering in their homes. Thus, home-based treatment and masking are enough and there is no need to panic," Dr Gilada said.
JN.1 is a descendant of Omicron's BA.2.86 variant, referred to as Pirola. It has an extra spike mutation, boosting its immune escape capabilities.
"This means it can be caught by anyone very easily, but the severity of disease is very low unless the person is having any comorbidity like hypertension, chronic kidney or autoimmune disease or cancer," Dr Agarwal said.
However, the doctors said people need not rush to get a booster dose as the currently available vaccines are not designed to tackle the JN.1 variant. The government also has not issued any special advisory on taking a booster shot.
"For flu, every year there is a different vaccine that incorporates the current strain prevalent in the country. That is why flu shots are recommended every year. However, the old Covid vaccines do not cover the JN.1 variant. We need to have a Covid vaccine incorporating the current strains," said Dr Gilada, who is also the president of the AIDS Society of India.
Most of the JN.1 cases have been detected in southern states, with Goa reporting 34 infections alone. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala come next.
While Dr Garg said epidemiological studies were required to understand the specific reasons behind these trends, Dr Agarwal said the healthcare system in Kerala was robust compared to other states.
"We saw Kerala and Maharashtra reporting the first cases of JN.1. The reporting and vigilance pattern in southern states are good compared to other states. Moreover, Kerala and Maharashtra see a lot of international movement," the IMA chief said.
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Turkish Expert Cautions On Surge In Viral Infections During Winters
There has been a noticeable rise in viral infections amid the prevailing cold and damp winters in Türkiye. An infectious diseases specialist has issued a warning considering this surge, noting a doubling in the number of patients seeking treatment in emergency units for upper respiratory tract infections in recent days.
"There is an increase in the presence and course of upper respiratory tract infections and flu infections brought about by seasonal change. Additionally, the Health Ministry evaluated the current outbreak is not caused by a single virus. We are experiencing a potpourri of viruses," professor Mustafa Doğan said.
Warning that upper respiratory infections may last long, Doğan said: "Naturally, a person who recovers from an infection may be exposed to a different agent after a while. Therefore, the course of diseases becomes a little longer. We may encounter prolonged fever and patients may seem to recover and then experience recurring symptoms."
Doğan said that in collective living environments, children are especially vulnerable and that the viruses children bring home may circulate within the family.
Doğan advised patients to implement social distancing, practice symptomatic treatment, eat nutritious food, stay hydrated, sleep well and avoid digital devices and electronics. He also suggested parents not to send their children with signs of an infection to school.
"For children experiencing severe cases, it may be necessary to hospitalize and follow up with the child to avoid complications and additional bacterial infections," Doğan added.
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1, a sub-variant of the coronavirus seen in many countries around the world, as a "variant of interest" due to its rapid spread.
According to experts, the increase in coronavirus cases in Türkiye is seasonal, stressing that there is no reason for panic.
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