freshers flu or coronavirus

Freshers’ Flu or coronavirus? This is how to tell the difference between the two

Because you don’t want to catch either


Every year during the first few weeks of term plenty of students suffer from Freshers’ Flu. It’s basically like a really bad cold and is the result of excessive drinking, late nights, lack of sleep, stress and meeting new people.

And even with lockdown restricting how much socialising students can do, Freshers’ Flu is still likely to affect plenty of people. You’ll be drinking with your flat mates, stressed over lockdown and potentially struggling with online learning.

Whilst you may feel absolutely awful with Freshers’ Flu, it’s important to note that it is different to coronavirus and you need to know the differences between the two.

According to Dr. Rankin, founder of London Doctors Clinic, the main symptoms of Freshers’ Flu are:

•Exhaustion

•Headaches

•Nausea

•Fever

•A husky voice, often accompanied by a chesty cough.

Whereas the key symptoms of coronavirus are:

•A high temperature where you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

•A new continuous cough

•A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

Dr Sara Kayat appeared on This Morning earlier this week and said if students experience one of the coronavirus symptoms they should get tested and self-isolate, even if they think it’s just freshers’ flu.

In Scotland senior clinicians Professor Jason Leitch, Dr Gregor Smith and Professor Fiona McQueen wrote a joint letter to students urging them to get tested if they experience coronavirus symptoms.

However they said if you do not have coronavirus symptoms but do have other flu-like or cold symptoms then you do not need to take a test or isolate.

For more information about coronavirus visit the government or NHS website

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