We should treat COVID like norovirus – not the flu

But have we chosen the wrong disease to compare COVID-19 with? Outside of a pandemic, we accept that seasonal flu is an infection that anyone can get. We only vaccinate those who are particularly prone to complications and treat people with serious side effects, such as pneumonia. Otherwise, people are left to their business. Deaths worldwide from influenza-related illnesses typically number around 400,000 each year.

While we need to find a way to live with COVID-19, the numbers suggest we’re still a long way from being able to deal with it the same way. There have been more than 180 million cases worldwide since early 2020, and at least 4 million people have died from the disease. On top of that, we’re still not sure what the real effect of long-term COVID is, but lasting symptoms are common, with one in ten people still suffering from the disease 12 weeks after being infected. Currently, the health effect of COVID-19 in the population is much greater than that of influenza.

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We also know that COVID-19 is more contagious. We can be sure of this because, over the past 18 months, COVID-19 control measures have reduced flu cases to almost none, but they have obviously not been as effective in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

Cases were close to zero in the southern hemisphere during its winter in mid-2020 and again in Europe and North America between November 2020 and March 2021. Even in countries with high rates of COVID-19, like the In South Africa and the UK, the winter saw virtually no recorded influenza cases.

All of this suggests that using methods commonly used to fight the flu will have a rather different effect on COVID-19. Treating COVID-19 like the flu will lead to many more cases and deaths, and many more persistent illnesses, than in a typical flu season.

Another comparison

Of course, SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – shares some characteristics with influenza viruses, which makes comparisons tempting. About 20% of people have no symptoms when infected with SARS-CoV-2, and many people infected with an influenza virus do not get sick either. Both viruses are subject to many mutations.

And with both diseases, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of serious illness than healthy young adults, with infections spreading rapidly in nursing homes, hospital wards and clinics. schools.

But many of these traits are also shared by another germ: norovirus. It can also be asymptomatic in some people and mutate quickly – different strains of norovirus have been found circulating in the same hospital over the course of a season. In fact, as it spreads, norovirus sometimes changes so much that standard test kits cannot recognize which versions have evolved.

Most people with symptomatic norovirus infections have diarrhea, but some also experience projectile vomiting. This creates an aerosol full of virus that spreads throughout any room and leaves it on surfaces, waiting for others to pick it up, as is the case with respiratory viruses. COVID-19 also causes diarrhea in some patients. The flu is not the only viral illness that COVID-19 can be compared to.

Likewise, there are many differences between SARS-CoV-2 and norovirus, so why make the comparison? Well, as vaccines and other control measures bring the virus under control, more parts of the world will join those where lockdowns have been lifted, social distancing rules have been relaxed and it is safe to leave home without wearing a mask. But we must still expect COVID-19 outbreaks for years to come and must have plans to deal with them as they arise.

Knowing what we know about these viruses, these plans should consider controlling SARS-CoV-2 more like we would for a norovirus than for the flu. With norovirus, we keep infected people away from others. We ask parents whose children are showing symptoms to stop them from going to school. And in hospitals and nursing homes, patients with norovirus are treated separately from others, staff use PPE to protect themselves, and surfaces are thoroughly cleaned. The management of COVID-19 in the future should be more interventionist like this one. It should be closer to living with a norovirus than the flu.

In the meantime, we have developed good hygiene habits during the pandemic, such as washing our hands a little more often and better ventilating the buildings. Those who can wear a mask should consider keeping it in confined spaces and on public transportation. These simple steps should help stop the spread of many viral diseases – whether against the flu, noroviruses or COVID-19 – before larger interventions are needed. (The conversation)