Someone who has the flu will not care much about the difference between summer flu and winter flu. There are actually no medicines for either type of flu, so there are no different medicines. Flu simply requires time to be cured, with at most some relief provided by paracetamol, for example. Yet it is good to know the essential differences between the two types of flu.

Summer flu

Summer flu, like winter flu, is caused by a virus. But the difference between the two is that summer flu is not caused by the influenza virus, like winter flu, but mainly by enteroviruses or noroviruses and also by other viruses or parasites. These viruses cause the stomach and intestines to become infected, which also causes intestinal disorders. If the stomach is infected, it is called gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) and if the intestines are infected, it is called enteritis (intestinal inflammation). Summer flu can be a very difficult disease and the complaints can be serious, especially in young children or people with a weakened immune system.

Prevention for summer flu

To prevent summer flu, various measures can be taken, which mainly boil down to maintaining good hygiene. For example, washing hands after visiting a toilet is very important because the virus often passes from one person to another via the hands and mouth. The same idea applies to preparing food, where it is better to wash your hands thoroughly first. Disinfecting things such as towels or clothing soiled by vomit is best done at the highest possible temperature. Other hygienic measures include keeping the toilet, flush knob, taps, door handles extra clean and don’t forget the children’s toys.

Winter flu

Winter flu is an acute infection of the nose, throat and lungs and is caused by the influenza virus. The name winter flu refers to the period in which the influenza virus emerges. This virus is highly contagious and can spread from one person to another by coming into contact with an infected person. For example, around ten percent of the population can be affected within a few weeks. Symptoms of winter flu include coughing, headache, sore throat, shivering, rapidly developing fever, muscle aches and fatigue.

Cold

Winter flu can also be confused with a cold because both involve damage to the upper respiratory tract. The difference, however, is that a winter flu is more serious than a cold that is not accompanied by a high fever. Recovery from a cold is also faster than from winter flu.

Spread of winter flu

The flu virus is usually spread through droplets of saliva through coughing or sneezing. The virus can spread quickly, especially where people sit close to each other in enclosed spaces, which is more common in winter than in summer.

Prevention for winter flu

To prevent winter flu, vaccination is the only method with proven effectiveness. Moreover, antiviral medications such as Amantadine, Relenza (zanamivir) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir) can inhibit the infection and reduce the symptoms. These medications are mainly used in people who are already ill. But preventive measures are also possible with winter flu, which, just like with summer flu, involve hygiene. One such measure is to prevent moisture droplets from spreading by using (disposable) tissues and holding your hand over your mouth when sneezing. The hand must then be washed thoroughly. It is also advisable for infected people to touch their mouth, nose and eyes as little as possible to prevent passing on the virus. Unfortunately, avoiding risky places such as areas where many people gather is not always possible, but would be a good preventive measure.

Differences at a glance

The most important differences between summer flu and winter flu are of course the seasons (summer – winter), the virus types (enteroviruses or noroviruses – influenza virus), the symptoms (intestinal disorders – upper respiratory tract) and the prevention (no vaccination, but vaccination). Good hygiene applies to both.

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