According to the monitoring data from the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the intensity of the seasonal influenza epidemic in Beijing has shown an obvious upward trend. The number of influenza-like cases in recent years has increased by 78% compared with the same period in 2019, and the influenza A virus has an absolute advantage. What is the difference between influenza A and common influenza, COVID-19 infection? When should swine flu vaccine be vaccinated? Do you need regular medicine at home to deal with swine flu With regard to the hot issues of influenza A, let's listen to Shen Ning, the vice president of the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University and the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases, to answer for you. What is the difference between swine flu and common cold? Influenza A (H1N1) is a respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza A virus. It is highly infectious and generally susceptible to infection. The most prominent symptoms of swine flu are high fever, body aches, fatigue, etc. In addition, swine flu is a respiratory infectious disease, and respiratory symptoms also include runny nose, sore throat, cough, etc. The common cold is also a common infectious diseases caused by respiratory viruses. Relatively speaking, the systemic symptoms are relatively mild, mainly respiratory symptoms. The common cold may occur all year round, while the seasonal characteristics of influenza A are obvious, and the systemic symptoms of influenza A are particularly prominent. What is the difference between A and COVID-19 infection? In terms of clinical manifestations, there are many similarities between A and COVID-19 infection. People who have been infected with COVID-19 may experience that COVID-19 infection may also cause some systemic symptoms and respiratory symptoms, but the systemic symptoms of influenza A may be more obvious, such as high fever and systemic pain. In addition, generally speaking, the course of A flow is relatively short, and most patients will be relieved in 3-5 days, while many patients with COVID-19 infection have symptoms that last longer. COVID-19 infection may cause symptoms such as decreased sense of smell and taste. These symptoms are relatively rare in swine flu and generally do not occur. Since both H1N1 and COVID-19 are viral infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, the prevention strategies of the two diseases are the same. Wash hands frequently, wear masks, keep indoor ventilation, and avoid going to places where people gather. Is it still too late to vaccinate against influenza? After being infected with influenza A, the human body is a protective antibody in a short time, so we need not worry too much. As the influenza A virus mutates very rapidly, we recommend that you vaccinate against influenza A every year. Relevant departments give new vaccine injections by predicting the variation of the virus every year, so it is generally recommended to vaccinate influenza vaccine at the end of the year, that is, around November, to prevent the occurrence of influenza in the next season. Do you need antiviral drugs at home? At present, it is in the season of high incidence of swine flu. You can prepare some medicine to deal with swine flu at home. There are good antiviral drugs for influenza A, but in fact, not all patients with influenza A need to take antiviral drugs. Generally speaking, most H1N1 is a self-limited disease. Many patients can relieve their symptoms within 3-5 days without taking antiviral drugs. For most patients, only symptomatic drugs need to be prepared, that is, drugs that can reduce fever and relieve respiratory symptoms. Everyone can relax and drink more water at home. But such as