Swine flu or seasonal flu?
BY Sharon Labi Freelance Journalist
Find out how to tell the difference.
Your head's pounding, throat's burning and you've blown your nose that many times you're considering buying shares in a tissue manufacturer.
The fever, aches and pains tell you it's more than a cold but do you have the notorious swine flu, or simply the seasonal flu?
It's pretty hard to tell because the onset and the symptoms are so similar, says Professor Robert Booy who is about to have a paper published on this exact question in the journal Microbiology.
Prof Booy, head of clinical research at the National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance, says despite the similarities, there are two key differences.
"Swine flu (Pandemic H1N1) led to quite a bit more vomiting and diarrhoea compared to seasonal flu," he says. "Whereas normal flu might give vomiting in 10 per cent of children, swine flu gave vomiting in over 30 per cent of children.
"The second difference is that swine flu much more commonly affected children and young adults and middle aged adults, whereas seasonal flu tends to affect the elderly so there's a big age difference."
The World Health Organisation also points out that globally the incubation period is reported as between one and seven days for swine flu, which is longer than for seasonal flu.
"There are indications that people with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 remain infectious for a longer period than if infected with seasonal influenza," it adds.
Both types of flu can leave you bedridden for a few days, both can give you a sore throat, runny nose, cough, muscle aches and fever and both can be treated with anti-viral medication within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
A nose or throat swab can confirm which type of flu you have but such tests are usually only available at emergency departments of large hospitals.
While they were routinely carried out at the height of the swine flu pandemic in 2009, it's unlikely to occur this winter.
There's greater protection in the community since the swine flu vaccine was developed in 2009 and most people will recover from either flu without any drama.
Read our fact sheet on influenza.
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