How can you tell the difference between the symptoms? – NBC Chicago

If you’re wondering if a runny nose, sore throat, or sneezing is just an allergy, a cold, or an early sign of COVID-19 or the flu, you’re not alone.

With many people experiencing cold-like symptoms and an increasing number of cases of COVID and flu this winter, it can be difficult to understand what may be behind the onset of symptoms. I have.

Experts say that the only real way to know the answer is to test, but until then, health officials say they treat possible symptoms as COVIDs.

“If you think you have a cold, if you think you have the flu, it’s probably COVID,” said Dr. Allison Arwadi, director of public health at Chicago. I said at a press conference at the end of last month.. “When you feel sick, you need to stay home.”

Arwady says that, especially with the increase in Omicron cases, those who have been fully vaccinated with COVID do not necessarily “get seriously ill, have a fever for several days and have difficulty breathing”, and more. He said he had a mild illness.

“They may just feel like they have a cold,” she said. “It’s good because they aren’t seriously ill and don’t threaten the health system, but there are certainly some concerns as they can infect others. “

Doctor reported Some cases of what is called “Furrona”, Or at the same time a double infection of both COVID and influenza. However, according to Cook County Health’s Family and Community Health Chair, Dr. Mark Loafman, there is no clear way to tell the difference between COVID and the flu, and there is no real way to determine if you have both.

“We make most of those diagnoses clinically,” he said.

In a hospital environment, “examination of the entire respiratory panel, not just COVID,” is increasing throughout the Chicago region, Loafman said, but testing for such cases is such that patients need medical care. Only done in case of illness.

The symptoms are about the same, but there may be subtle differences, Loafman said.

“One is that the flu and the flu fever tend to be a little higher, which is subtle,” he said. “So 101, 102 [degree] Fever can occur with COVID, and fever can be a little higher with influenza, but it can also be of low grade. Other than that, it’s very common in both flu and COVID, such as coughing, headaches, stuffy nose … congestion, shortness of breath, but for most of us, we don’t think it really is. You can see the difference. “

Sore throat continues to be a symptom reported, especially for mild breakthrough infections, Arwady said in Facebook Live last week.

“Especially in people with these milder breakthrough infections, sore throat is definitely a predictor of that group,” Arwady said.

She previously called on people with symptoms like the flu and colds to assume they were infected with COVID “until otherwise proven.”

“Whatever it is, even if it’s a sore throat,” she said. “I told my staff this, that’s what I’m doing … If you’re sick, if you’re sick, stay home. Because you’re sick, even a little It’s more true than ever until it proves ill In a test-it’s COVID. That’s how we handle it, that’s how you should handle it. “

Dr. Catherine Pauling, an infectious disease specialist and a member of the Immunization Implementation Advisory Board, Told NBC News Last week, cough, congestion, runny nose, and malaise appeared to be prominent symptoms of the Omicron variant. However, unlike the delta type, many patients do not lose their taste or smell.

According to Pauling, the evidence so far is anecdotal and not based on scientific research. She also stated that these symptoms may only reflect a particular population.

Still, CDC data show that the most common symptoms so far are cough, malaise, stuffy nose, and runny nose.

Symptoms listed by the CDC

Overall, the COVID symptoms reported by the CDC are:

• Fever or chills
• cough
• Shortness of breath or shortness of breath
• Malaise
• Muscle and body pain
• headache
• New loss of taste and smell
• sore throat
• Stuffy nose or runny nose.
• Nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea

“This list is not all possible symptoms,” said the CDC. “Contact your healthcare provider for severe or other symptoms that are relevant to you.”

Some CDCs are called “”Coronavirus self-checker“This allows people to answer a series of questions and decide if they should get medical care.

“The Coronavirus Self-Checker asks when individuals over the age of 13 and parents and guardians of children aged 2 to 12 seek testing and medical care if they or their acquaintances suspect that they have a contract. An interactive clinical evaluation tool to help you make decisions. We have been in close contact with COVID-19, or anyone who has COVID-19, “reads the CDC website.

Click here for how to use..

The CDC encourages people who have or may have COVID-19 to monitor emergency warning signs and seek medical care immediately if they experience any of the following symptoms:

• Dyspnea
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New mess
• Difficult to get up or difficult to get up
• Light, gray, or blue skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on the color of the skin

You can also notify the operator that you or someone you care for believes that you are infected with COVID.

For influenza, the CDC has the following symptoms:

• Feel fever or fever / chills
• cough
• sore throat
• Runny nose or stuffy nose
• Muscle and body pain
• headache
• Fatigue (fatigue)
• Some people can have vomiting and diarrhea, which is more common in children than in adults.

Regarding allergies, the CDC states that some people may experience symptoms of rhinitis and conjunctivitis. The symptoms are:

• Symptoms of allergic rhinitis are:
  • sneeze
  • snot
  • congestion
• The symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis are:
  • Red, watery, or itchy eyes