What to expect from colds, flu and COVID this winter

Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, an interesting thing happened: Illnesses caused by cold and flu viruses have all but disappeared. Sure, there was still sniffles and a runny nose, but the flu hospitalization rate was lower than any season since the CDC started collecting this data in 2005, and deaths due to it. influenza fell from nearly 22,000 the previous year to around 700. As hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, the lack of a deadly flu season was a bright spot for health workers and the public. .

It’s not a big mystery why this happened: while we were told for years to wash our hands and cover our mouths when we cough, we weren’t always listening, at least not. until something even scarier than the flu happens. With social distancing and face masks added to the mix, that all changed. “The common cold, flu, and COVID-19 all start when you inhale respiratory droplets or touch your nose or mouth, allowing the virus to enter your system,” says Ada Stewart, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “When everyone worked together to keep the droplets from spreading, it wiped the flu off the radar.”

But what will happen this year, now that vaccinated people take off their masks around their friends and hug each other again? Experts can’t predict exactly what will happen, but they agree that last year’s aberrant cold and flu season will create a mix of good and bad for this one.

Cold and Flu Guidelines

Our experience with COVID-19 has changed us in a way that will hopefully keep us safer in the future, even when schools, offices, and theaters are fully open: washing hands and covering up the mouth helps stop the spread of respiratory droplets, ”says Dr. Stewart. “These techniques save lives.

Indeed, we have learned the importance of taking sick leave. “We haven’t taken respiratory illnesses very seriously in the past – we tend to ‘get through it’ – but it helps to stay home, both to help you recover and not to spread. disease, ”says Emily Martin, Ph .D., an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health who collaborates with the CDC. “Workplaces have given workers more leeway and we hope sick leave policies continue to improve,” she adds.

“Many will continue to do these little things that we’ve learned for other viruses,” says Martin. Dr Stewart adds, “It will just be part of our new normal, and it will make us a healthier nation. “

What’s in store for COVID

There’s a particularly good reason to hold on to those masks and bottles of hand sanitizer: Experts expect this year’s cold and flu season to be less predictable and potentially more virulent than that. in recent years. “We have a lot more people who are a lot more sensitive than they were before,” says Martin. Here’s why: Usually, those who are infected with the flu for one year build up antibodies that help protect against some of the strains they may encounter the following year, even if they have mild symptoms. “All of those people who would normally have produced antibodies did not do so last year,” she says.

To further complicate matters, this year’s vaccines may be less effective than usual because drugmakers didn’t have data from the most recent flu season they usually use to create the next iteration. “It’s important to have data that is as close as possible to real-time data to get the right flu vaccine strain,” says Martin. “Not having it increases the risk of vaccine incompatibility. ”

So what can you do? Make no mistake: you should still get the flu shot. The two experts point out that even in years when flu shots were less effective, deaths and infections were drastically reduced. And get one as soon as you can (the CDC recommends getting it done by the end of October). After noting that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common winter virus that can turn into bronchitis, arrived months earlier than expected this year, Martin says the flu could also make an early onset.

During this time, keep in mind that those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still contract breakthrough infections, although the risk is low and symptoms tend to be mild. The vaccine also appears to be effective against the Delta variant, now the dominant strain.

In areas of the country that are not well vaccinated, COVID-19 will still be a threat, but may be indistinguishable from other viruses. “After focusing so much on COVID-19 for so long, we all have to remember that other infectious viruses often need a doctor’s attention as well,” says Martin. If you have symptoms of any kind, it’s best to call your doctor, who can assess whether you need to be tested for the flu and COVID-19. “It will be a more difficult year to navigate,
and more than usual, you might want to rely on a doctor to help you figure it out, ”she says.

Is it just a cold or something?

Cold, flu and COVID-19 symptoms may overlap – here are a few things to know.

A cold

• Symptoms tend to stay above the shoulders and only affect the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Expect sneezing, sore throat, cough, congestion, stuffy ears, and a runny or stuffy nose.

• You usually won’t have a fever or nausea, says Dr. Stewart.

• Colds tend to come on gradually and then get worse over a few days.

Processing: “Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids, and you should be feeling better in about a week,” says Dr. Stewart. She suggests that you describe your symptoms to your doctor or pharmacist so they can help you find an over-the-counter medication to target your most miserable symptoms.

Flu

• You will probably have sniffles and congestion, but the symptoms tend to travel further into your airways causing a deep cough; fever can cause pain, chills, and severe fatigue.

• You may have diarrhea or vomiting.

• You will get sick quickly and your symptoms will last for five to seven days, although they may go away sooner (and be less severe) if you have had the flu shot. “If you feel like you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks, it’s probably the flu,” says Dr. Stewart.

Processing: Seek immediate medical attention. Influenza can be diagnosed clinically, but a nasal swab can now simultaneously test for COVID-19 and influenza A and B. Influenza can be relieved with antivirals such as Tamiflu, which is particularly effective when taken in first days after its onset.

COVID-19[female[feminine

• COVID-19 causes many of the same symptoms as a cold or the flu.

• A symptom that distinguishes COVID-19: loss of taste or smell.

• COVID-19 can also cause mental confusion, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and trouble sleeping.

Processing: As of this writing, the only drug approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19 is remdesivir, an antiviral agent (only for those who are hospitalized). If you have a mild case, rest, stay hydrated, isolate yourself, and take over-the-counter medication for symptoms.

This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Prevention.

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