Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 global pandemic began raging in late 2019 and early 2020, the awareness of the effects of infectious diseases has surged. While the coronavirus may be on everyone’s mind, it had people wondering, what are the other most common infectious diseases?
Everyone has heard of infectious diseases with low fatality rates such as the common cold, and for the most part a normal immune system can easily combat these. While there are thousands of diseases known across the globe, most people only know about a handful of them and it’s the serious ones that we should pay attention to. The chances of you catching some of the rare ones are incredibly unlikely, but there are a few that are pesky and seem to remain a problem.
One of the most common infectious diseases is Influenza A and B
Also known as the flu, and recently been the cause of a lot of confusion over which symptoms are flu-like and which are for COVID-19, influenza A and B are extremely common. They are so common in fact that WebMD states that between 3% and 11% of the US population get it every year. As previously stated, symptoms are very similar to that of the coronavirus pandemic with fever, chills, aches, sore throat, and congestion leading as the most common. The flu typically takes about two weeks to clear up completely, but the drowsy feeling is known to last beyond those 14 days. For those who have a weak immune system, and the elderly / children may have more severe symptoms.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis is an inflammation of your liver due to a virus. The most common form in the US is type C which you can get through contact with infected blood. Similar to other infectious diseases, fever, nausea, and fatigue are all common side effects. One side effect of Hepatitis C that stands out from most other common diseases is jaundice (the yellowing of eyes and skin).
Pneumonia
Perhaps one of the scariest common infectious diseases is pneumonia. One of the most common and severe side effects of pneumonia is difficulty breathing. With this disease the tiny air sacs in your lungs called aveoli fill with fluid or pus due to an infection. Luckily, pneumonia can be treated with medicine, but it’s incredibly important you see a doctor quickly if you have symptoms.
Norovirus
Ever wondered what infectious disease is often the cause of food poisoning? The most common answer is the norovirus. This virus is extremely contagious and is often spread through contaminated water, food, and/or surfaces. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for the norovirus, but it typically is gone within a few days.
E.Coli
If you’ve ever heard of E. Coli you most likely know that it is almost always transmitted by food of poor quality. Typically, you can get Escherichia coli (E. coli) by eating contaminated raw vegetables or undercooked meat. The most common side effects are in your gut but in more severe cases you can experience urinary tract infections and/or pneumonia.
If you feel sick and/or at risk for one of these common infectious diseases, it’s important that you seek medical attention. If you or a loved one has been extremely ill at home with an infectious disease, it may be important for you to reach out to a bioremediation professional cleaning company. At Xtreme Cleaners we specialize in cleaning contaminated spaces and making them safe again in Louisiana. Just call (800) 524-9591 and a member of our team will be happy to help.