

Covid tests are easily accessible at pharmacies and retailers nationwide, and are especially useful if you start feeling sick after a known Covid exposure, he adds. “As the rates of different diseases change in the community, so does the usefulness of our tests,” Labus says.

So, how can you really know if you have Covid vs.
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She says Covid can lead to “unique complications” that scientists are still understanding, like skin rashes, respiratory failure, heart conditions like arrhythmias, blood clots, and excessive immune response. These include pneumonia, sepsis, and inflammation of the brain, heart, or muscle tissues. Most people recover from the flu and Covid within a few days or a week or two.īoth flu and Covid can cause serious complications, especially for people over age 65, or who are immunosuppressed or have chronic conditions, Darius says. Some Covid variants (but not all) have caused loss of taste or smell, which is rarely seen with the flu, Labus says.įlu symptoms also typically appear more suddenly, while Covid symptoms come on more slowly, Darius says.
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Since Covid and the flu will continue to circulate, here’s a refresher on the symptoms of each illness, when you should get tested, and how to protect yourself during Covid, cold, and flu season.
“These are emergency symptoms and could be life-threatening,” Darius says. If you have shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, upper abdominal pain, sudden dizziness or confusion, inability to awaken or stay awake, fainting, weakness, or pale gray or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, go to the hospital. She recommends getting tested for Covid-19 first, since the virus remains prevalent.Īlso pay close attention to your symptoms, she urges. It’s understandable that every cough, sneeze, or fever makes you wonder if you have Covid, the flu, or even a cold, says Evelyn Darius, M.D., a physician with PlushCare. “If you have to go out, wear a mask to help protect others.” “We got good at this during Covid, and we should continue this behavior as other types of respiratory diseases spread,” he says. “The first thing you should do when you get sick with any type of illness is to stay away from other people,” Brian Labus, Ph.D., MPH, REHS, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, tells Men’s Health.
