Distinguishing one infection from another is harder than it seems
Science recognizes nearly 200 viruses that cause acute respiratory infections (ARIs), yet in everyday life, most people typically use just two terms: "I think I caught a cold" or "I might have the flu." Since 2020, the latter expression has been supplemented with "or maybe it's COVID," but even in such cases, not everyone rushes to see a doctor. As long as their health permits, Ukrainians stubbornly go to work, successfully infecting one another.
Kashтан NEWS reveals what illnesses are currently affecting the residents of the capital and what the new (or old) viruses circulating in Kyiv are like this epidemic season.
Metapneumovirus
The current "scare" about the "new Chinese virus" has been regularly making headlines over the past month due to an unexpected outbreak of infection in northern China. In reality, metapneumovirus does not have any specific "Chinese" origin and has been found in all regions of the planet for the last two and a half decades, ever since it was discovered and described by virologists in 2001.
3 Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is transmitted through sneezing and coughing, as well as by contact – for example, through handshakes or contact with railings, doorknobs, etc. In most cases, metapneumovirus infection manifests as a common cold or a mild form of the flu: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and weakness. However, in December 2024, hospitals in northern China were overwhelmed with patients for whom HMPV caused bronchitis and pneumonia. Experts attribute this to overly long and strict lockdowns that prevented the population from exchanging seasonal viruses, leaving many people's immunity unprepared for typical ARIs.
“What started in China, such an information surge: firstly, a very large population. Secondly, an aging population. The main reason for this outbreak of metapneumovirus in China is that they had very strict quarantine restrictions for a long time. But in the long run, this leads to the fact that ordinary respiratory diseases can be very severe,” – explained Alla Mironenko, a virologist and Doctor of Medical Sciences at the Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KMC CPD).
4 According to data from the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the epidemic season, Ukraine has recorded 14 laboratory-confirmed cases of metapneumovirus: two in children under 4 years old, seven in children aged 5-14, four in adults aged 30 to 64, and one case in a person aged 65 and older. A similar situation was observed last year when HMPV was detected in 24 people throughout the entire epidemic season.
As reported by the KMC CPD, only one case of metapneumovirus was registered in the capital this epidemic season.
“An absolutely benign respiratory virus, which can be severe in vulnerable groups. However, if we look at the flu, it can also be severe in the same vulnerable groups. Therefore, we should not expect a new pandemic,” – reassured Ukrainians on the National Marathon by pulmonologist Oksana Moloda.
Doctors classify children under 5 years old, people over 65 years old, individuals suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthmatics on steroids, as well as patients with immunodeficiencies due to HIV and malignant tumors, and those who have undergone organ transplants as at-risk groups.
“The virology laboratory of the State Institution ‘Kyiv City CPD of the Ministry of Health’ is currently fully equipped with the necessary test systems for detecting metapneumovirus and conducts epidemiological surveillance throughout the year, including the current epidemic season. If symptoms of flu and ARIs appear, Kyiv residents can voluntarily contact the Center and undergo appropriate testing,” – reported the Center for Public Health.
Influenza
During this epidemic season, influenza type A (in the vast majority of cases) and B are primarily circulating in Ukraine. There is no separate statistics on flu incidence in Kyiv – the KMC CPD publishes only general summaries, which also include other respiratory viral infections.
5 According to this data, over the last four weeks of 2024, nearly 38,000 residents of the capital officially suffered from flu and ARIs (which also include COVID-19). Comparing this with the estimated population of Kyiv, which is approximately 3.6 million according to the KMDА, it turns out that at least one in every hundred Kyivans sought medical attention for respiratory viral infections in December.
At the same time, flu and ARI incidence decreased throughout December: if 10,036 cases were recorded in the first week of the month in the capital, by the last week, this figure had dropped to 8,199. From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the incidence rate fell to 6,207 cases per week: thus, the weekly intensive indicator, according to KMC CPD estimates, is currently below the epidemic threshold by 3.8 times.
COVID-19
The former culprit of lockdowns has officially transitioned into the category of ordinary seasonal infections. If approximately 8,000-10,000 people were infected weekly with ARIs and flu in December 2024, the maximum number of coronavirus cases detected in a week did not exceed 46.
6 However, COVID-19 is significantly more likely to lead to hospitalizations. Analyzing the statistics for December published by the capital's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it appears that nearly one-third of Kyiv residents with laboratory-confirmed coronavirus were hospitalized during December, while the overall figure for flu and ARIs was only about 1.6 percent.
It is clear that this statistic does not and cannot fully reflect reality, as only patients with severe cases are admitted for inpatient treatment. A person with a mild form of coronavirus may not seek medical attention at all and, therefore, not appear in official reports. But the risk of hospitalization for patients with coronavirus is nonetheless higher than for patients with other seasonal ARIs.
Rhinoviruses and Adenoviruses
Rhinoviruses are a group of viruses that cause what we generally refer to as a "cold" – intense runny nose and sneezing, which can sometimes (but not necessarily) be accompanied by fever and sore throat. Typically, rhinovirus infections do not lead to complications and resolve within a week (rarely two), while most patients do not even feel the need to see a doctor.
7 However, despite the mild nature of the illness, rhinoviruses are quite insidious: currently, science knows nearly 130 of their serotypes, which means that even if you develop temporary immunity after an illness, you have a high chance of catching a new strain of the virus the following month.
Another group of viruses that actively circulate during the winter season is adenoviruses. Adenovirus infections differ from rhinovirus infections with additional "bonuses" – conjunctivitis or abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and/or diarrhea may occur alongside a runny nose. Both rhinovirus and adenovirus infections can present very mildly or even asymptomatically, allowing transmission from carriers who may not even suspect they are ill.
How to distinguish one ARI from another
The symptoms of different respiratory viral infections are often very similar, and even specific manifestations such as fever, nausea, or muscle pain may depend more on an individual's reaction than on the type of virus they contracted.
However, several clinical signs can be summarized based on which you can assume which infection you might be suffering from:
- A sharp increase in temperature before the onset of sore throat or runny nose is more characteristic of flu or COVID;
- A low or normal temperature along with a runny nose is more likely a rhinovirus or adenovirus infection;
- Conjunctivitis is usually a manifestation of adenovirus infection or a complication that has joined other infections;
- Muscle and joint pain is rarely seen in mild ARIs, but is a common manifestation of body intoxication in flu and coronavirus infections;
- Diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea are indicative of adenovirus infection or general body intoxication.
In reality, accurately distinguishing one ARI from another can only be done through laboratory diagnostics. However, in mild cases of illness, this is usually not performed: in any case, most such infections are treated symptomatically.
How to protect yourself from infection
8 No matter which respiratory infections are circulating during the winter season, doctors recommend adhering to general guidelines:
- Avoid large gatherings of people whenever possible;