Colds and flu – an overview of their management

The common cold and flu are two very different viruses that share very similar symptoms. The common cold is a self-limiting upper respiratory tract infection caused by the rhinovirus, coronavirus or the adenovirus. It usually resolves within 7–10 days. Flu is caused by the influenza virus and usuall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South Africa Pharmaceutical Journal 2017-05, Vol.84 (2), p.15
Main Authors: Ismail, Halima, Schellack, Natalie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Colds
Influenza
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The common cold and flu are two very different viruses that share very similar symptoms. The common cold is a self-limiting upper respiratory tract infection caused by the rhinovirus, coronavirus or the adenovirus. It usually resolves within 7–10 days. Flu is caused by the influenza virus and usually presents with headaches, myalgia, fever and body aches. There is no place for antibiotic usage in colds and flu and there is no clinical evidence which suggests that using antibiotics alters the course of the disease or prevents secondary infection. Treatment is mainly symptomatic and includes many over-the-counter medicines, antivirals and herbal treatments.
ISSN:2221-5875
2220-1017