Flu Vs. RSV Vs. COVID: Symptoms and the Need for Test
During the winter season, it is common for people to come down with sore throat and stuffy nose. Each year, the virus leads to hundreds of millions of upper respiratory tract infections known as ‘colds’. The viruses are known to be most active during the months that make up the flu and cold season.
With the year’s tripledemic, a cold may mean COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or the flu. The viruses may make you sick than the regular cold virus. So you may wonder about the difference between RSV, flu, or COVID-19.
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Let’s look at how your symptoms may give you an important clue.
Difference between RSV, COVID, and flu than regular cold
A ‘cold’ is one usual term for a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Most viruses result in upper respiratory tract infections, including flu, RSV, and COVID.
One special thing about the flu, RSV, and COVID is that they may cause more serious lung illnesses and even affect other body parts.
How to tell if you have the flu, RSV, or COVID
The only way to know if you have the flu, RSV, or COVID is to get a test. But your symptoms may indicate whether you have RSV, COVID, or the flu.
Flu symptoms tend to start all of a sudden, while RSV and COVID symptoms come on more gradually. They all may lead to similar symptoms, but specific symptoms tend to dominate with one illness over another. Fever, in this instance, is more common with COVID and flu than RSV.
The illness rate in the community may also give you a good idea about which virus you are most likely to get. If you are sick and there’s a lot of flu in your area, but not a lot of RSV or COVID, you are much more likely to be sick from the flu.
The CDC publishes COVID maps and weekly flu, which may help you determine if one virus is more active in your community. They also tend to publish reports on local RSV activity.
Meaning of COVID
COVID-19 is a new kind of coronavirus. Before 2019, coronaviruses were known to be common cold viruses, not specifically aggressive ones. Now, COVID is one of the deadliest viruses in the history of humans.
Common symptoms of COVID
COVID symptoms keep changing as the viruses tend to create new variants. However, the most common symptoms are:
- Congestion and runny nose
- Body aches
- Headache
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Cough
Symptoms may start gradually and may get worse around day 2 or 3. COVID sore throat tends to be quite a common symptom, especially at first.
Is there a need for a COVID test?
It is always a good thing to get a test for COVID if you suffer from cold symptoms. COVID testing helps figure out how long you need to isolate it. You can also decide if you need to take extra precautions to protect your loved ones at high risk of developing serious COVID-related illnesses.
Another great reason to get the test done is to determine if you should start with the antiviral treatment of Paxlovid. You should start Paxlovid within 5 days of when you may start feeling sick.
Types of COVID tests available
There are many COVID tests available today. These include home test kits that you can get at the local pharmacy without needing any prescription. Few tests give you results in minutes. A few tests are also available that may take a few hours or even days to come back.
There’s a trade-off between accuracy and time. PCR tests may take longer to come back but are more accurate. Antigen tests take just a few minutes but are less reliable than others.
For both kinds of tests, you should provide a sample from inside your nose with the use of a nasal swab. However, few people tend to wait too long to get their tests and ought to take advantage of the window of opportunity for the intake of Paxlovid.
Meaning of RSV
RSV, or Respiratory syncytial virus, is known to cause bronchiolitis. It is a serious lower respiratory tract infection in young children and babies. Adults may get RSV, too, but most adults develop colds. Those with chronic medical conditions or older adults may also develop more serious illnesses.
Symptoms of RSV
The symptoms may start slowly; however, the most common symptoms are:
- Postnasal drip
- Cough
- Congestion and stuffiness
- Runny nose
Symptoms are at their worst on days 3 to 5, and people may start to feel better gradually. People with an RSV infection may experience a huge surge in mucus production. Thus, the most common symptoms are related to congestion and runny nose. The less common symptoms include sore throat, body aches, and fever.
Is there a need for an RSV test?
You probably won’t require a test for RSV, even if you have RSV-like symptoms. It is because there’s no treatment for RSV.
If you are living with someone at a higher risk for serious RSV illness, like an infant, knowing whether you have RSV may affect the precautions you decide to take in your home. For example, you may also need to stay away from young children or wear a mask until you feel better. But, even without getting the RSV tests, you may follow these steps if you’re sick.
Types of RSV tests available
Unlike the COVID tests, rapid RSV tests offer results within a few minutes. Some tests may come back within a few hours. But these are only available from a healthcare provider’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center.
With the help of an at-home test, one nasal swab test can help you test for the flu, RSV, and COVID. While you can do this test at home, you may still have to drop off your sample at a local lab. Then, all you need to do is wait for results; it may take 1 to 2 days to return.
However, on the bright side, the results of both in-office and at-home tests are quite reliable.
Meaning of the flu
The flu is an illness caused by the influenza virus. The virus may go or come in a predictable pattern throughout the year.
Symptoms of the flu
Unlike RSV and COVID, the flu symptoms tend to start all of a sudden. People experience an abrupt onset of:
- Sore throat
- Congestion
- Cough
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Body aches
- Fever
The symptoms tend to stay the same for 1 to 5 days before it slowly fades over the next 3 to 5 days.
Is there a need for the flu test?
You may need a flu test if you suffer from the flu symptoms. There is an antiviral treatment for the flu–like Tamiflu (oseltamivir). It may help you feel better faster than possible. However, Tamiflu may also result in side effects, and few people skip treatment.
If you have time, it is better to take medicine within 48 hours of getting sick. So you do not have much time to decide whether to get a flu test. If you want to take antivirals, it is better to get a flu test as soon as possible. If you are at high risk of serious flu illness, get a flu test as soon as possible to develop symptoms.
Types of flu tests available
Rapid flu tests can tell you whether you have the flu or any other problem within minutes. Like the COVID tests, these are known as antigen tests. However, you may sometimes need to sacrifice the accuracy of speed. Also, unlike the COVID tests, rapid flu tests are unavailable over the counter. So, you’ll need to see a healthcare provider to get it done.
Apart from this, PCR tests are available, but they may take longer to return; however, they are more accurate. In addition, PCR tests are available in emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and healthcare provider offices.
The at-home PCR tests usually take longer to come back, but they are more accurate than the rest. In these tests, you collect the nasal swab and drop off the sample at the nearest lab. The tests are available as flu-COVID combo tests, flu-only tests, and now flu-COVID-RSV tests. It also helps you save a trip to a provider’s office; you still need to wait 1 to 2 days to get your results.
Conclusion
RSV, the flu, and COVID are viruses that may cause upper respiratory tract infections, better known as the common cold. But these viruses may also lead to more severe illnesses like pneumonia. However, it is possible to know what kind of virus is making you sick without an RSV test, flu, or COVID. The reason is that the three cause similar symptoms. You can download Rx discount card and get good discounts on medications for COVID, the flu, or RSV.
There are antiviral medications for the flu and COVID. If you are at a higher risk of getting a severe illness from this virus or like to start antiviral medication, it is usually a great idea to get tested sooner. These medications work best if you start them as soon as you fall sick.
