Patient's question:
Yesterday, I suddenly had a fever, and it hasn't gone down. I took some medicine for colds and fever, but it didn't help. When I had a fever, I also felt a sore throat. It's not like the symptoms of a common cold—usually, a cold doesn't hurt this much, starts suddenly with fever, and has a shorter duration. Is it the flu?Doctor's answer:
Influenza generally has a rapid onset, with sudden high fever and body aches. It can be diagnosed through a throat swab test. Influenza is caused by the transmission of the influenza virus, which is highly contagious. Before recurrence, if the patient has been in contact with an influenza patient, blood tests such as a complete blood count and C-reactive protein should be conducted to confirm the diagnosis. During the flu season, if obvious flu symptoms reappear, combined with careful laboratory tests, the diagnosis can be confirmed.