Simply think about having COVID 19 and the flu concurrently.
That would occur this flu season, says COVID 19 Incident Commander Cindy Farr with the Missoula Metropolis County Well being Division, regardless that there have been only a few circumstances of the flu final winter.
“We all know that we’re nonetheless in the midst of this surge of COVID circumstances, however we’re additionally going into flu season and the prediction to this point popping out of the CDC and the World Well being Group is that we’re going to see a flu season this 12 months regardless that we did not see one final 12 months, and they’re truly anticipating that it might be a reasonably extreme flu season and it’s potential to get COVID and the flu on the similar time,” mentioned Farr.
Farr mentioned each COVID and the flu are respiratory viruses and each can have related signs at first, so households have to be particularly conscious of signs this winter.
“It is positively exhausting to inform the 2 aside as a result of the signs are very related,” she mentioned. “So if in case you have signs and also you go get examined and your COVID take a look at comes again destructive, then it is best to see a healthcare supplier and get examined for the flu. The large distinction is whereas there may be not something that we may give you for COVID early within the illness so that it’ll make it shorter, there may be remedy that you could get out of your healthcare supplier should you catch it early sufficient if in case you have the flu, and it will shorten the length of signs.”
Farr repeated the similarities between COVID 19 and the flu.
“The flu and COVID are each viral diseases and they’re each viral respiratory diseases,” she mentioned. “That is why we would like all people to get protected against the flu (with the flu vaccine), in order that should you do find yourself getting COVID not less than you realize that you simply’re seemingly not going to get the flu and COVID on the similar time.”
Farr mentioned vaccinations for flu and COVID differ, particularly for various ages.
“If you happen to wished to get a COVID vaccine, then you would need to be 12 or older,” she mentioned. “The flu vaccine is on the market to everybody that is aged six months and older. They’re totally different sufficient viruses that the flu vaccine actually is solely going to assist maintain them from getting the flu. However definitely the flu can have an effect on folks of all ages. And it tends to have an effect on the youthful folks and older folks rather more severely than these of us which might be type of within the center. So that’s positively a method that you could defend your little one that perhaps is just too younger to get a COVID vaccine is to get them vaccinated for the flu.”
Some flu signs could embody fever or feeling feverish with chills, a cough or sore throat, runny or stuffy nostril, muscle or physique aches, complications and fatigue.
COVID-19 signs embody all the above, however may additionally embody new lack of style or odor, sore throat, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.
Seek the advice of your healthcare supplier for any of those signs.
