Flu, Covid, or RSV? A chart that distinguishes between symptoms.

Three different viruses have taken children and adults to hospital emergency rooms across the United States this winter. Not only is the coronavirus making a comeback, New immune escape variantHowever influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus It’s also expanding faster than normal and at record speed.

While most people have been able to avoid other infections like influenza and RSV in the past few years, the coronavirus is new and large segments of the population have taken steps to slow the spread of Covid. Because we were taking precautions, we were also slowing the spread of other viruses. no immunity at allAs a result, with much of the country enforcing masks and social distancing, and with more travel and indoor gatherings, more people are susceptible to common winter viruses.

Worse, if you do get sick, you could be more susceptible to serious illness, says Dr. Priya Soni, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars Sinai Guerin Children in Los Angeles. .

“Your immune system hasn’t been challenged as much lately, so you’re probably more likely to get sick than normal.

Here’s a guide to spotting symptoms and what to do to check for and treat various infections.

Cold, flu, Covid, and RSV symptoms overlap

Mark the symptoms below, then select a disease to sort by.

Influenza, Covid, and RSV have overlapping symptoms that can be very similar to those of the common cold caused by different viruses. Dr. Michael Chang, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Herman Health System in Houston, says respiratory viruses can cause coughs, fevers, headaches, and runny or stuffy noses. But his one way of distinguishing between viral infections is by watching how quickly symptoms increase.

Flu symptoms appear quickly, often as little as a day after contact with a sick person, and affect the whole body. Flu sufferers often describe feeling like they’ve been hit by a truck, Dr. Chan said. For colds, he may take 2-3 days for symptoms to appear and they are much milder. Covid and RSV have even longer incubation periods. It can take an average of 5 days from exposure to the coronavirus to the onset of early Covid-19 symptoms, but the new variant can cause active infection as early as 3 days after exposure. It takes 6 days. Covid and he also with RSV the symptoms progress slowly. At first, the sense of smell is dulled, followed by a cough and headache the next day, and a fever the next day.

Adults with the flu are likely to experience very high fevers, up to 103 or 104 degrees, Dr. Chang said. But fevers are rarely accompanied by colds, especially in adults. Also, people with Covid-19 and RSV experience mild or no fever. “We are finding that more patients, especially those with newer strains, who have been vaccinated or who have had previous infections, will have mild symptoms and a low-grade fever of around 99 or 100. said Dr. Chan.

Other less common symptoms also help distinguish the disease. For example, the flu or her Covid-19 can cause diarrhea and vomiting. These gastrointestinal problems are common in young children. Covid-19 can also cause sudden and severe loss of taste and smell. This is very different from the temporary dulling of these sensations when a cold or flu causes a stuffy nose, Dr. Chang said.

People with RSV are less likely to experience the general fatigue and muscle aches associated with influenza and Covid-19. Instead, RSV is often accompanied by a very wet, strong cough. , RSV has a lot of mucus in the nose and throat and is prone to congestion,” says Dr. Chang.

Another characteristic symptom of RSV is wheezing, especially in young children. It can be heard as a high-pitched whistling or crackling sound when a sick child exhales. It may also make breathing faster or more difficult overall.

Your location matters.

Looking at community infection rates in your area is another way to narrow down the likelihood of the virus.Her official number of Covid cases may be underestimated because of increased home testing, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 mapin addition to relying on local news and social networks to find out if community members are ill.

Influenza and RSV testing should be performed in clinics or clinical laboratories and may be more representative of national case rates. CDC uses this data weekly flu map When RSV trends.

Some age groups are more vulnerable.

In general, adults over the age of 65 are at highest risk for all three viruses. This is because the body’s ability to fight off viruses naturally declines as we age. Older people are also more likely to have medical conditions that may put them at risk for severe symptoms and complications if they do get sick.

Young children tend to experience more severe symptoms of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus because their immune systems don’t yet know how to properly fight off pathogens, says Dr. Soni. , more likely to become congested, progress from mild to severe disease, and cause respiratory distress.

Dr. Chan says children are more likely than adults to experience asymptomatic or mild Covid-19 infections, but “we don’t really know why.”

Testing is the last word.

The only way to definitively diagnose or rule out one of these viruses is to get tested. Covid-19 can be easily checked at home, but there is no quick home test for flu or RSV. labcorp This will allow you to take nasal swabs for Covid-19, flu and RSV and mail the samples to your lab. However, the results will take a day or two.

Most clinics, urgent care centers and hospitals also offer combined testing for all three viruses, Dr. Chang said. However, some doctors do not perform diagnostic PCR for mild infections. That’s because most people’s symptom management remains the same no matter which respiratory virus they have, Dr. Soni said. may receive antiviral treatment for infectious diseases, such as Paxlovid for Covid-19, Tamiflu for influenza, Ribavirin for RSV)

“The best thing most people can do is stay hydrated with lots of liquids, keep the humidifier running in the room, and use a nasal aspirator to help younger children,” Dr Soni said. Children and adults who are generally healthy and have no other underlying medical conditions can try over-the-counter medications for symptom relief and usually recover in a short amount of time, she added.