Covid-19: This painful throat disease is more than a symptom of the virus

By now, most of us are quite familiar with the symptoms of Covid-19, although the list keeps getting updated. Inasmuch as this knowledge is useful in curbing the spread of the disease, it could lead to delayed diagnosis or misdiagnoses of certain conditions whose symptoms are similar to those of Covid-19. One such condition is tonsillitis.

Symptoms of tonsillitis

According to the National Health Service:

Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the back of your throat… it can feel like a bad cold or flu. The tonsils at the back of your throat will be red and swollen.

The condition is mainly common in children but can occur in adolescence or adulthood. The NHS lists the main symptoms of the painful throat condition as a sore throat, problem swallowing, high body temperature above 38C as well as:

• coughing
• a headache
• feeling sick
• earache
• feeling tired

Apart from these common and easy to treat symptoms, some signs of the condition could pose major discomfort like bad breath, swollen, painful glands in your neck (feels like a lump on the side of your neck) and white pus-filled spots on your tonsils. Such serious symptoms could be caused by bacteria, unlike the milder ones associated with viral infection.

Managing tonsillitis

As you can see from the main symptoms of tonsillitis, they present as those of Covid-19. However, these symptoms will usually go away after 3 to 4 days. Unlike Covid-19, tonsillitis is not contagious, but most of the infections that cause it are, for example, colds and flu.

Although the symptoms of tonsillitis go away on their own, you could take over-the-counter medications like paracetamol and ibuprofen to relieve you of the fever and sore throat, according to The Sun. You should also ensure you are well hydrated and satiated.

Read more:

⋙ Oral sex can increase the risk of throat cancer according to studies

⋙ 5 best teas to soothe a sore throat

⋙ Covid-19: This is the most common symptom among the vaccinated