Although respiratory illnesses are prevalent around the calendar, they are especially followed by the winter season. These illnesses share a range of common symptoms, and it takes a hard job differentiating between them. Most viral infections are spreadable and formidable. If you have a stuffy nose, a heavy head, and disrupted cough patterns, you might want to know the exact cause. In this blog, we will dig deeper into the realm of common respiratory malfunctions. Moreover, we will learn how to better differentiate between flu COVID RSV.
Introduction to flu, covid-19, and RSV
Viral respiratory infections arise when a foreign virus enters the body. They target the sinuses, nose, throat, or respiratory tract depending upon the type of virus. Their symptoms usually appear earlier than most other diseases. To illustrate further, the similarities and differences between flu, COVID-19, and RSV are traced below:
Flu:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9.3 to 41 million US residents are affected by flu every year. It results from the invasion of the Influenza virus in the body. Also, it is transmissible to other people and therefore more common during winters when most people prefer staying indoors. The influenza virus can be a tricky riddle to solve because it keeps changing its form each year!
COVID-19:
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses which get their name from the corona-like shape they possess. Today, COVID-19 the latest variant of this virus, SARC-CoV-2 causes most cases of coronavirus. It is very contagious. As a result, people who get infected with coronavirus should be kept in isolation wards to prevent the spreading of the virus.
RSV:
The virus responsible for causing this infection is the respiratory syncytial virus. The intensity of RSV symptoms can be different for every person, being worse in people with low immunity. Indeed, infants and elderly individuals face more acute symptoms when they suffer from this viral infection.
Symptoms:
Even though it is a puzzling task to completely differentiate between viral respiratory diseases, research has contributed to making it less complex. Detangling the issue of COVID-19 and flu similarities is an example of such a study. Here comes the hard part, differentiating between the intertwined symptoms of flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Although these viruses result in many common symptoms, a few differences are worth pointing out. All three of these infections trigger a stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, fatigue, and headaches.
Unique symptoms of flu, COVID-19, and RSV:
Symptoms unique to flu:
The symptoms of flu arise very suddenly. Whereas those of COVID-19 and RSV can take some more time to fully develop. A distinguishing feature of the flu is the high fever that it triggers in the patient. Combined with other respiratory malfunctions, a victim of the flu can get a fever as high as 103 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Dr Esper, the patients with flu feel more miserable as compared to those with other infections. Along with that, the intensity of vomiting and nausea can also be very high in some patients.
- Severe symptoms: Dehydration, Pneumonia, sinus infection, and inflammation of tissues
Symptoms unique to covid-19:
Some symptoms that make COVID-19 stand out from the flu and RSV include loss of taste and smell. Additionally, COVID-19 is more likely to cause problems even outside the lungs. Such as disrupting gastrointestinal functions and triggering long-term brain fog. Diarrhea and vomiting are also highly prevalent in victims of COVID-19.
- Severe symptoms: Breathing difficulty, pressure on the chest, low oxygen levels, and changes in skin, nail, or lip color
Symptoms unique to RSV:
Flu, COVID-19, and RSV can attack people of all age groups. However, RSV is more pervasive in children. 58,000-80,000 children under the age of 5 are admitted to U.S. hospitals while suffering from RSV. A symptom unique to this infection is wheezing. Wheezing refers to an unusual whistling or rattling sound produced in between breathing. Another differentiating factor for RSV is loss of appetite.
- Severe symptoms: Bronchiolitis, Pneumonia, breathing complications, irritability, and lack of energy
Diagnosis:
The uncanny similarities in the symptoms of flu, COVID-19, and RSV, mean that patients should get diagnosed at their earliest convenience. Researchers and scientists have introduced well-designed and convenient testing strategies for each respiratory illness:
- Molecular testing
- Antigen testing
- Flu, covid-19, and RSV combined test
- Flu, COVID-19, and RSV at-home collection kits
Preventive measures:
- Maintaining high-quality hygiene
- Washing and sanitizing hands regularly
- Sanitizing household and workplace high-contact surfaces such as tables, chairs, desks, and doorknobs
- Using masks and isolating measures while being in an infected vicinity
- taking immunity-boosting multivitamins
- Use of anti-allergies
- Taking a clean and healthy diet
- Keeping your residential area free of garbage and stagnant water
Treatment:
Due to a lack of awareness, many people confuse antibiotics to be a remedy for respiratory infections like flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Instead of being beneficial, this can result in a risky and jumbled-up scenario. Viral infections are caused by viruses, not bacteria. This is why antiviral treatment is the most effective regimen against these diseases. Another preventive and curative treatment method is the use of vaccines such as the influenza vaccine, Pfizer, Moderna, BioNTech, AREXVY, and mRESVIA.
Duration:
The lasting time for flu, COVID-19, and RSV can be different for every individual depending on the complexity of the infection. However, this is a rough estimate of their common durations:
- Flu can either go away in a couple of days or last for 2 long weeks
- Covid-19 can last for 1-40 days
- RSV symptoms typically last for 1 to 2 weeks
Bottom-line
Respiratory viral infections like flu, COVID-19, and RSV can be hard to differentiate due to their common set of symptoms. With the right treatment at the right time, they can be cured completely. Antiviral drugs and vaccines are powerful fighters for these infections. All these infections are contagious and hence patients infected with them need to be isolated. Taking care of your hygiene and immunity are some preventive measures that can shield you from viral infections.
