Students are returning to universities and colleges across Scotland amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Fresher’s Week is the first occasion in which new students can meet their classmates for the first time - whether it is in a student union or in student halls.
However, restrictions implemented in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Scotland has made that experience that little bit more difficult.
Students in the west of Scotland have spent most of their time getting acclimatised to their new flatmates as they have been unable to visit other households indoors.
This brings its opens up its own risks of coronavirus transmission at this early stage of the student experience.
Some will be worried about their usual ‘fresher’s flu’ being a bout of Covid-19.
Ben Littlewood-Hilson, chief medical officer at Doctorlink, said having a runny nose is a big sign that what you have is a cold, reports the Mirror.
And whereas Covid-19 has more specific symptoms, the flu usually affects the whole body.
Speaking to the Metro, Dr Ravi Tomar, a GP at the Portland Medical Practice in Croydon, London, said: “The challenge with these upper respiratory infections is that that can all present with symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, aches and pain.
"However the predominating symptoms can help to differentiate between each.
"With a common cold less of the body is affected with symptoms focused on the mouth and nose; with the flu – you would expect the body as a whole to mainly be affected; with Covid, the persistent fever, dry cough and specific features like the loss in taste or smell can suggest this may be the cause."
NHS Scotland lists symptoms of coronavirus as:
- A continuous cough - one that has last for more than hour, or three or more cough episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough it may be worse than usual)
- Fever/high temperature (37.8C or greater) - hot to the touch on your chest or back. You may feel warm, cold or shivery
- Loss of, or a change in, sense of smell or taste
Symptoms of the flu can include:
- A sudden fever – a temperature of 38C or above
- An aching body
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- A dry cough
- A sore throat
- A headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea or tummy pain
- Feeling sick and being sick
Cold symptoms come on gradually and can include:
- A blocked or runny nose
- A sore throat
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Coughs
- Sneezing
- A raised temperature
- Pressure in your ears and face
- Loss of taste and smell
Doctors have stressed that if you are not sure you should seek medical advice.
