By Dr. Bryan Mason, St. Luke’s Clinic
How do we distinguish COVID from Influenza?
Both influenza and COVID-19 cause fevers, chills, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, body aches, headaches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
Loss of taste and/or smell is a symptom that is unique to COVID-19, but I am not sure that I am confident enough in this alone to hang my hat on someone having COVID-19 and not influenza.
Most patients who present with a flu-like illness will be tested for both influenza and COVID-19.
Is it important that I get tested if I am sick?
Whether they have influenza, COVID-19 or some other flu-like illness, most people will recover without any specific treatment. Although not necessary for treatment, having a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of either influenza and/or COVID-19 will be important to help us better understand disease activity, which in turn will help medical providers and public health experts make more informed decisions. Laboratory-confirmed diagnoses will also guide contact tracing and inform quarantine directives.
Are there any treatments available if I do get sick?
We are confident in our ability to treat most bacterial infections, but influenza, like COVID-19, is caused by a virus, so treatment options are limited. Fortunately for most people, the body’s immune system properly combats these viruses.
Some anti-viral medications have been shown to shorten the duration of influenza a little. For some patients with underlying conditions or who are at high risk, even shortening the illness by one day can improve outcomes.
There is growing evidence that steroids such as Dexamethasone may improve outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Although studies are ongoing, to date there is not data to support the use of steroids or COVID-directed treatments in the outpatient setting.
As with COVID-19, treatment of hospitalized patients with influenza is primarily supportive, which may include supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, and medications and treatments to help other vital organs function sufficiently until their body is able to fight off the virus.
Are there steps that I can take to keep from getting sick?
The same precautions that have been recommended to decrease the spread of COVID-19 will lso reduce the spread of influenza. Appropriate hand hygiene, social distancing, regular use of a face covering and staying home and away from others if you are sick are tried-and-true steps to reduce the spread of both influenza and COVID-19.
Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. It also may make your illness milder if you do get sick. Getting vaccinated yourself protects people around you, including those who are more vulnerable, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
To maintain physical distancing and discourage congregations of people, St. Luke’s encourages patients to schedule an appointment at their primary care clinic via https://www.stlukesonline.org/mychart. Walk-in and drive-up appointments will not take place this year to maintain a safe care environment. If you aren’t registered for myChart, you can sign up by visiting https://mychart.slhs.org/MyChart/signup. If you can’t use myChart, you can make an appointment by calling St. Luke’s Connect at (208) 381-9000.
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