Now is the time to get a vaccine for the flu and COVID before both become more widespread once again.
SAN ANTONIO — You may have noticed more of your co-workers getting sick over the past few weeks. As we get closer to the middle of fall, that may happen more often as respiratory viruses become more common.
There are four common viruses that ramp up in the fall: the common cold, flu, RSV and COVID-19. And they become easier to contract as we spend more time inside towards the end of the year.
Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with University Health told us, “Right now what we’re primarily seeing the number one pathogen on our virology report is rhinovirus which caused the common cold. That’s at the highest level. COVID has started to decrease some. It’s coming down from that summer surge.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services Respiratory Illness Interactive Dashboard show a drop in ER visits from COVID, but an increase in both influenza and RSV, through the first few days of October. Dr. Bowling said, “COVID has started to decrease some. It’s coming down from that summer surge. But there’s still a fair amount of Covid out there.”
So how do you tell the difference between these illnesses? When it comes to a cold, the flu, COVID and RSV, they don’t always have the same symptoms. If you have body aches, fatigue and a sore throat but no other symptoms, you probably have a cold. If you have those and fever, it could be the flu. Add in difficulty breathing and a loss of taste or smell and COVID-19 is a possibility. But if you have wheezing, and difficulty breathing, RSV is a high likelihood.
Dr. Bowling added, “Flu and COVID tend to cause a bit more severe illness. they also tend to have more of the muscle aches, the higher fevers. And so it tends to have some more severe symptoms.”
For those that have chronic medical conditions, Dr. Bowling says talk to your doctor ahead of time about antivirals you can take if you catch COVID or the flu. Dr. Bowling added, “If you do develop severe symptoms, you may be a candidate for getting one of those antivirals that could help you from getting even sicker.”
Dr. Bowling also said now is the time to get a vaccine for the flu and COVID if you haven’t done so yet, to beat the illnesses before they take control of you.