NEW YORK.— Most people were able to avoid the gripe and other infections like respiratory syncytial virus in recent years while the coronavirus was new and a large part of the population took steps to slow the spread of the Covid, which also slowed the spread of other viruses. Our immunity to these viruses may have waned in that time, and many children born during the pandemic never acquired any immunity. As a result, more people are vulnerable to common winter viruses.
To make matters worse, we can also be more susceptible to serious illness if we fall ill, said Priya Soni, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s in Los Angeles.
“You can get very sick, maybe more than usual, because your immune system hasn’t been affected as much lately,” he explains.
Influenza, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus have overlapping symptoms, and they can also closely resemble those of the common cold, caused by various viruses. Any respiratory virus can cause a cough, fever, headache, or runny or stuffy nose, according to Michael Chang, an infectious disease specialist at Houston’s Memorial Hermann Health System. But one way to tell the difference between viral infections is to look at how quickly symptoms appear.
flu symptoms they come on quickly—often just a day following exposure to someone who was sick—and can be felt throughout the body. People with the flu often describe feeling like they’ve been hit by a truck, Chang explains. With colds, symptoms can take two to three days to appear and are much milder.
Covid and respiratory syncytial virus they have even longer incubation periods. It can take an average of five days from exposure to the coronavirus to the development of the first symptoms, although newer variants can lead to active infection as early as three days following exposure. Respiratory syncytial virus takes four to six days. With Covid and respiratory syncytial virus, symptoms also develop slowly: you can start out feeling like a cold, then develop a cough or headache the next day and a fever the next.
According to Chang, adults with the flu are likely to have very high fevers, up to 100 or 100 degrees. But colds are rarely accompanied by fever, especially in adults. And those with Covid and respiratory syncytial virus experience mild fevers or none at all. “Especially with new variants and people who have been exposed through vaccination or have had an infection before, we are seeing more and more patients only have mild symptoms and only have a low-grade fever, at around 38. degrees,” Chang said.
Other less common symptoms can also help you differentiate between diseases. For example, the flu and Covid-19 can cause diarrhea and vomiting; these gastrointestinal problems are more likely in young children. Covid can also cause a sudden and severe loss of taste or smell, which is very different from the temporary diminishment of these senses when you have a stuffy nose with a cold or flu, Chang said.
People with respiratory syncytial virus are less likely to feel the body fatigue and muscle aches of the flu or Covid. Instead, respiratory syncytial virus is characterized by a sudden and severe loss of the sense of taste and smell. In contrast, the respiratory syncytial virus is often accompanied by a very wet and strong cough. “Of the three viruses, the respiratory syncytial virus is the one that tends to produce more mucus in the nose and throat and more congestion,” explains Chang.
Another characteristic symptom of respiratory syncytial virus is wheezing, especially in young children. It may be heard as a high-pitched hiss or crackle when a sick child exhales. And it can be accompanied by overall faster or labored breathing.
Some age groups are more vulnerable
Usually, adults over 65 are at increased risk of contracting all three viruses. This is because the body’s ability to fight viruses naturally declines with age. In addition, older adults are more prone to diseases that can expose them to serious symptoms and complications if they do get sick.
Young children also tend to experience more severe flu and respiratory syncytial virus symptoms because their immune systems don’t yet know how to properly fight off pathogens, Soni explains. Babies and young children also have smaller airways that tend to become congested easily, making it more likely that their illness will progress from mild to severe and cause them to have difficulty breathing.
Children are more prone to asymptomatic or mild Covid infections compared to adults, Chang said, though “why is not really clear.”
The tests give the last word
The only way to definitively diagnose or rule out one of these viruses is to get tested. Although you can easily test for Covid at home, there are no rapid home tests for the flu or respiratory syncytial virus. There is a combined PCR test developed by Labcorp that allows you to take a nasal sample for Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus and send it by mail to a laboratory. But the results take a day or two.
Most clinics, urgent care centers and hospitals in the United States also have combination tests for the three viruses, Chang said. But some doctors may forgo a diagnostic PCR test if you have a mild infection. This is because the treatment of symptoms for most people will be the same no matter what respiratory virus they have, Soni said. (Those who fall into the high-risk categories or are sick enough to be hospitalized can receive antiviral treatment for their infection, such as Paxlovid for Covid, Tamiflu for influenza, and ribavirin for respiratory syncytial virus.)
“The best thing most people can do is stay hydrated with lots and lots of fluids, keep a humidifier running in the room, and help younger children with nasal suction devices,” Soni said. Generally healthy children and adults with no other underlying conditions can try over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms, she added, and usually recover with some time.
By Knvul Sheikh
