Comparison of H1N1 influenza and COVID-19: Similarities and differences

Before we compare the two pandemics in more detail, here are some simple facts about each.

Let’s look at some of the similarities between the 2009 H1N1 influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infection; infection

Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 can be transmitted in a similar manner. These include:

• Respiratory droplets. These are small droplets that are formed when a person infected with the virus speaks, sneezes, or coughs. Inhaling these droplets can cause a virus.
• Contaminated object. Respiratory droplets containing the virus can adhere to countertops, doorknobs, etc. You can get the virus by touching these things and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

It is also possible to pass both viruses when there are no symptoms. This is called an asymptomatic infection.

Symptoms

Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory infections and share many common symptoms. These include:

One symptom peculiar to COVID-19 Loss of smell and taste..

H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 in 2009 vary from mild to severe. In both pandemics, certain groups were at increased risk of serious illness.

Risk factor

The groups at risk of complications from H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 in 2009 are quite overlapping. They include:

• Adults over 65
• Pregnant person
• People with certain types of underlying health

The underlying health conditions that can cause complications are:

Additional high-risk groups for H1N1 influenza in 2009

There were some additional groups Higher risk Serious illnesses during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic include:

• Children under 5 years old
• People under the age of 19 receiving long-term aspirin therapy

COVID-19 additional high-risk group

In addition, people with the following underlying health conditions Higher risk For serious illness from COVID-19:

complications

Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 can cause similar complications, including:

COVID-19 also has some additional issues, including:

vaccine

After the advent of H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 in 2009, we quickly worked on vaccine development.

In the process of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, 5 in total The vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).These vaccines were developed using the same technology that was previously used Seasonal influenza vaccine..

by World Health Organization (WHO)At the time of this article, more than 200 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are under development and at least 7 different vaccines are currently in use worldwide. They use a variety of different technologies, including:

Currently, three vaccines are approved by the FDA for emergency use in the United States. These include vaccines manufactured by:

Now let’s look at the difference between the two pandemics.

Virus type

The 2009 H1N1 pandemic Influenza virus..Influenza virus is part of the virus family Orthomyxoviridae.. Their genetic material is composed of eight separate strands of RNA.

This particular flu virus transmitted from pigs to humans in 2009, so Monica saidSwine flu.. In fact, it contains RNA strands from humans, pigs, and birds. How does this happen?

Pigs can be infected with several different types of influenza virus. When this happens, the RNA strands of various viruses can mix through a process called reassortment. This can lead to unique influenza viruses such as the 2009 H1N1 virus.

COVID-19 is Coronavirus From the virus family Coronaviridae.. Its genetic material is composed of single-strand RNA. The specific virus that causes COVID-19 is called SARS-CoV-2.

The exact origin of SARS-CoV-2 is still unknown.Recently released report from WHO SARS-CoV-2 is probably derived from bats, indicating that it was passed to humans via an unknown intermediate animal host.

Today’s 2009 H1N1 influenza

The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic ended in 2010, but these viruses Keep circulating Today as a seasonal influenza strain. They are included as one of the components of. Seasonal influenza vaccine Every year since the pandemic.

Global death

so 2012 surveyResearchers estimated that approximately 284,000 deaths occurred worldwide in the first 12 months of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Since the end of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been 75,000 The 2009 H1N1 flu caused death in the United States.

COVID-19 has caused quite a lot of deaths around the world.about 2,000,000 people died From COVID-19, it occurred in the first 12 months of the pandemic.

Similar to the 2009 H1N1 influenza, deaths from COVID-19 continue during and after the pandemic.At the time of writing this, COVID-19 Almost 3,000,000 Died all over the world. More than 500,000 people have died in the United States.

Infectious

COVID-19 is more contagious than the 2009 H1N1 influenza. This means that COVID-19 can spread more easily among individuals.

that is Estimated That R₀ In the case of COVID-19, it is about 3, but R₀ H1N1 influenza in 2009 is between 1.3 and 1.7. “R₀“” Is an abbreviation for “basic reproduction number”. This reflects the number of other people who are susceptible to the virus if one person is infected with the virus.

Therefore, one person who developed COVID-19 could infect the other three with the virus. On the other hand, a person who got the H1N1 flu in 2009 could infect one or two other people.

The duration of transmission between the two viruses is also different.

• influenza: Who has influenza Usually, the virus can pass from 1 day before the onset of symptoms to 5 to 7 days after the onset of illness.
• COVID-19 (New Coronavirus Infection: COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) It can occur about 2 days before the onset of symptoms. People, with or without symptoms, can be infected with the virus for up to 10 days after a positive test.

Onset of symptoms

Influenza, including H1N1 influenza in 2009, and COVID-19 differ in terms of onset of symptoms.

• influenza: The incubation period of influenza 1-4 days.. When symptoms occur, they often appear suddenly.
• COVID-19 (New Coronavirus Infection: The incubation period of COVID-19 is long, 2-14 daysAlthough many people develop symptoms 5 days After being infected with a virus. Symptoms usually appear more slowly.

Most affected age group

The two pandemics were also different in the most affected age groups.

• 2009 H1N1 influenza: Man Under 30 years old Most affected by the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. It is believed that this is due to the already existing influenza immunity in the elderly.
• COVID-19 (New Coronavirus Infection: Adults over the age of 30 are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally speaking, fewer and fewer cases are observed in young people.

Disease severity

that is 94% and 98% Cases of H1N1 influenza in 2009 were mild. Far fewer experienced severe or serious illness.

A higher percentage of people who develop COVID-19 have a severe illness.The· WHO COVID-19 has an 80% chance of being mild, but we estimate that 20% of people infected with the virus can become seriously ill or seriously ill.

treatment

Treatment of H1N1 influenza in 2009 included supportive care and antiviral drugs. Supportive care includes:

• Get enough rest
• Drink plenty of water
• Use over-the-counter (OTC) drugs like Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil, Motlin), and Naproxen (Alive) Relieves symptoms such as fever and pain

H1N1 virus is oseltamivir (oseltamivir (Tamiflu) And Zanamivir (Relenza).

However, when COVID-19 first appeared, we did not know an effective treatment for it. Over time, various treatments have been approved by the FDA or approved for emergency use.

Mild to moderate COVID-19 is often treated with supportive care.add to Treatment It can also be used by those who are hospitalized or who are at high risk of serious illness. These include:

• Remdesivir (Veklury), COVID-19’s only FDA-approved antiviral treatment
• SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibody
• Dexamethasone, a type of steroid drug
• COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma

In the 21st century, two different pandemics occurred: the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. There are various similarities and differences between these two pandemics.

Although they are caused by different viruses, both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 are equally contagious respiratory illnesses. There is also a lot of overlap in symptoms, complications, and risk factors for serious illness.

However, COVID-19 is more likely to cause more serious illness than the 2009 H1N1 flu, causing more deaths worldwide. It is also more contagious than the 2009 H1N1 flu.

No effective treatment was known in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are several treatments currently available. In addition, vaccines for COVID-19 are being developed rapidly, similar to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.