Santa Fe Standard

From December 2, 2022 post.

The U.S. is facing a surge of respiratory viruses, mainly driven by COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

Flu and RSV have appeared earlier than usual and have particularly affected children, leading to 78% of pediatric hospital beds being full, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

All three viruses have symptoms that are similar, which can make them difficult to tell apart. But knowing which virus a person has can help them receive proper treatment or, if need be, let them know if they need to isolate.

What are the symptoms?

COVID-19, flu and RSV are more similar to each other than they are different in terms of symptoms.

One of the only symptoms exclusive to one virus and not the others is loss of taste and smell, which has been a hallmark symptom of COVID-19.

However, public health experts told ABC News the absence of one of the symptoms does not mean a patient doesn't have a particular virus and that the only way to be sure is to get tested.

How quickly did symptoms come about?

Flu symptoms typically appear rather quickly while symptoms of RSV and COVID-19 appear more gradually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 has an incubation period of two to 14 days while RSV has an average incubation of about five days but can be anywhere from two to eight days.

By comparison, flu has an incubation period of one to four days.

How old is the patient?

Public health experts told ABC News that depending on how old a patient is can affect the severity of the disease.

For example, RSV is most severe for infants younger than six months older and young children, particularly those with weakened immune systems or congenital lung or heart disease.

What treatments or precautions do I need to follow?

With COVID-19, it's important to follow CDC guidelines, which include isolating for at least five days -- or longer if symptoms don't improve -- and wearing a mask around others.

Additionally, they can be prescribed Paxlovid if they are at risk of severe illness.

With flu, patients can receive Tamiflu to shorten the course of their illness as long as it is given early on and people who are exposed to flu can receive the treatment to prevent them from getting sick.

However, the most important thing a person can do if they are infected -- when possible -- is to stay home.

To read the full article, click HERE!

Original source can be found here.