He was just beginning to recover from the nasal congestion and the whistling in his chest from the previous change in weather, when Wednesday’s ‘surcito’ suddenly reactivated his back pain, the hoarseness of guarantee and that feeling of obstruction of the respiratory tract that forces you to take the handkerchief to ‘blow’ your nose every so often.
María suffers from these symptoms every time there are sudden changes in temperature and associates it with the consequences of covid-19 because she did not suffer from these ailments before.
“Before, my grandmother used to say that pain in the bones announced the arrival of the cold, but now with the coronavirus it’s the back pain and the wheezing in the chest,” María jokes with her co-workers, especially with her colleagues who have beaten covid-19 and have the same symptoms.
They are calm because none of them have presented a fever or general decay, so they are sure that it is not a new infection.
All these cases do not reach the medical consultation, because the flu and home remedies such as honey, onion and eucalyptus, become the faithful allies to combat these discomforts.
“I prepare a jar with onion, honey and eucalyptus and I take it daily, that relieves me and I don’t need to take medication,” says Etelvina, who, in May of last year, contracted covid-19 and has had to deal with it ever since. with back pain and constant discomfort respiratory. “The good thing is that now nobody runs away when they hear him cough, because before it was a sin just to sneeze. In these times, in the buses and in all the places that one visits the majority is with some symptom of a cold, but nobody worries so much anymore, ”says Etelvina.
Those who have severe colds prefer to go to the covid-19 detection points to rule out or confirm coronavirus, but once the nasal antigen test is done, they leave relieved because most test negative for the virus.
María Belén Cervantes came to the Las Orquídeas coliseum of the Three Thousand Plan to take the nasal antigen test, because she has a cold, but she left calmly because she tested negative for coronavirus.
Like her, many people were worried and went to seek the diagnosis, but when they found out that they were negative, they even left without asking for a medical consultation, becauseSome assured that they are already used to dealing with discomfort left by previous infections.
In this autumn season, consultations of children with Acute Respiratory Infections (IRAS) in public health centers also increased.
Doctor Rubén Suaznabar, director of the San Agustín health center, indicated that this month there has been a rise in cases of the common cold in children, but decreased considerably the cases of covid-19. “Care for children with colds has increased, which is due to climate change,” said Suaznabar, adding that some children already arrive with complications of pharyngotonsillitis because they are taken late to the health center.
Dr. Suaznabar treated 89 boys in his office, of which 44 presented symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infections.
Doctors from other centers indicate that many children have left with bronchitis, so they suffer chest discomfort every time the weather changes.
Colds have also been a reason for absenteeism in schools and nurseries, since children with symptoms must stay home to minimize the risk of contagion.
In the diagnosis center of the Las Orquídeas Coliseum, Dr. Andrea Alcoba, states that the demand, although daily an average of 60 people or more to look for nasal antigen tests, but only one or two are positive.
This amount is well below previous months when the contagion curve was elevated, since at that time they carried out more than 800 diagnostic tests.
The doctor points out that the majority are negative for coronavirus and what is now affecting the most is influenza. “Of all ways people come to rule out the covid virus, ”he says.
Patients with cold symptoms are consulted and given medication.
He said that many ailments can be sequelae of covid-19, but also the nerves play againsta, because the thought of the disease makes the person begin to feel symptoms, including shortness of breath.
Influenza
Doctors recommend seeking the influenza vaccine to avoid complications. The dose against the flu, as happens with the anticovid vaccine, can prevent consequences serious. A study conducted during the flu seasonza 2019-2020, showed that the vaccine was associated with a reduced risk in critical cases.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of a mask to prevent colds.
