Is it the flu or the Covid-19? Symptoms are harder to tell apart this year

“You might think it’s a stuffy nose or allergy symptoms, but it could be as simple as your breakthrough infection,” said Cameron Wolfe, infectious disease specialist at Duke University Hospital. Durham, North Carolina.

Here’s what doctors say you should know to distinguish Covid-19 from other illnesses, and what to do if you’re sick.

How do the symptoms of Covid-19 rupture infections compare to those of the flu, colds and other illnesses?

Symptoms of Covid-19 infections in vaccinated people are generally milder and of shorter duration than in unvaccinated people. The reduced severity can make symptoms more similar to the flu or the common cold. Symptoms of a breakthrough may include a runny nose, fatigue, and cough.

A symptom generally specific to Covid-19 is loss of taste or smell. “The symptoms and clinical signs of influenza and Covid-19 are virtually identical minus the difference in odor and taste loss,” says Daniel Uslan, co-chief of infection prevention at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.

However, Covid-19 infections do not always trigger a loss of taste or smell. So people shouldn’t assume they’re Covid-free if they still have these senses. It’s important to get tested according to your doctor’s advice to determine the cause of your symptoms, doctors say.

What can the incubation period of a possible disease mean?

With the original version of Covid-19, symptoms often took longer to appear than with influenza infections. So if you fell ill very soon after being around a sick person with undiagnosed symptoms, it could have been a sign that you had the flu rather than Covid-19. However, the now dominant Delta variant tends to produce symptoms earlier than previous strains. “It’s hard to tell on the basis of incubation,” says Dr. Wolfe. “I don’t think it really holds up anymore.”

How to tell the difference between the flu and Covid-19 in children?

Just like in adults, it is difficult to tell the difference between the flu and Covid-19 in children. Children infected with the flu or Covid-19 tend to experience more gastrointestinal problems than adults at the onset of either illness, says Flor Munoz, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital of Houston. Children whose symptoms of Covid-19 progress tend to develop mild upper respiratory infections, she adds. It’s important to get tested according to your doctor’s advice, doctors say.

Should we test both the flu and the Covid-19?

Doctors advise getting tested for both if you have symptoms. A PCR test, typically done in a pharmacy, doctor’s office, or other site, and processed by a lab, remains the most sensitive and accurate way to detect Covid-19. However, rapid over-the-counter antigen tests are quite reliable in people with symptoms, and they may be more convenient. Rapid tests give results in about 15 minutes, and you can purchase kits to use at home.

If your rapid test is negative, you should still take a PCR test if you continue to have symptoms, says Dr. Uslan. Your doctor may also test you for other illnesses, including the flu.

Can local health data help you understand your symptoms?

Health services often publish data on various illnesses to help health care providers. Local statistics can show you when flu cases start to increase in your area and can also help you keep track of other viruses like RSV that have emerged earlier than usual this year. If a disease is circulating at particularly high levels, you are more likely to come in contact with it, doctors note.

Is it possible to have several infections at the same time?

It is possible to be infected with more than one of these viruses at the same time, although this is not as common as a single infection. This may be more likely to occur in children who attend daycares or schools where multiple viruses are circulating, says Dr. Munoz, who is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Infectious Diseases committee. “Co-infections can occur, especially in young children,” she says. In children, RSV and adenovirus can cause more serious illness than in adults, she adds. Follow your doctor’s advice for treatment.

Should I be vaccinated against both Covid-19 and the flu?

Yes, say the doctors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said you can get the flu and Covid-19 shots at the same time.

Write to Alina Dizik at [email protected]