Differences between bacterial colds and viral respiratory infections

Clinically, colds are divided into many types due to different causes and symptoms, and bacterial colds are one of them. Many people easily confuse this disease with viral respiratory infections when they suffer from it. So, what are the differences between the two?

1. Characteristics of the disease

Epidemic viral respiratory infections have the obvious characteristics of group outbreaks, with many people getting sick in a short period of time, or several people in a family getting sick; whereas bacterial respiratory infections are more common in sporadic forms, with few or no other patients with influenza or fever around the patient.

2. Symptoms

In viral upper respiratory tract infections, runny nose is more obvious than pharyngeal symptoms; in bacterial upper respiratory tract infections, redness, swelling and pain in the tonsils or pharynx are more obvious. If accompanied by diarrhea or conjunctival congestion, it tends to be a viral infection.

3. Onset speed

Viral infections have an acute onset, and symptoms of systemic poisoning can be mild or severe; bacterial infections can have an acute or slow onset, and symptoms of systemic poisoning are relatively severe. If the fever is not high at first, but the condition worsens after 2-3 days, it is mostly a bacterial infection.