They have similar symptoms and are spread by respiratory droplets.  How can you tell the difference?

As winter sets in and the COVID pandemic infections rise, every cough and sniffle will carry an extra worry: is it COVID?

Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis.

COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu.  Without mitigation efforts, a person with COVID-19 can infect an average of about 2 to 3 other people. A person with the flu infects an average of about 1.28 other people.

Patients can now get tested for COVID-19 and flu with a single swab.

If you experience symptoms of COVID-19 or the flu, request an Appointment or Telehealth call from your Canyonlands provider to determine whether you need to get a Covid/Flu test.

Call the Canyonlands Central Operator at 1-877-645-9675.

COVID-19 Symptoms

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

When to Get Tested

In addition to getting tested if you have symptoms, you should also be tested for the virus if you have been within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

CDC recommends fully vaccinated people get tested 5-7 days after close contact with a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Read the CDC guidelines.

Vaccinations

On November 29, 2021, Dr. Richard Carmona, a former U.S. Surgeon General and adviser to Gov. Doug Ducey on public health emergency preparedness, urged Arizonans to get vaccinated and continue COVID-19 safety practices as hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, which delays routine care as a result.

All Canyonlands Healthcare centers offer COVID-19 testing and vaccines for eligible patients.

Flu

Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. Most experts think that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. Influenza (flu) can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

• fever* or feeling feverish/chills
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body aches
• headaches
• fatigue (tiredness)
• some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

Most people who get flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.

Cold

A cold virus enters your body through your mouth, eyes or nose. The virus can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks. It also spreads by hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold or by sharing contaminated objects, such as eating utensils, towels, toys or telephones. A cold usually comes on gradually and many types of viruses can cause a common cold.

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Congestion
• Slight body aches or a mild headache
• Sneezing
• Low-grade fever
• Generally feeling unwell (malaise)

Symptoms of a common cold usually appear 1-3 days after exposure to a cold-causing virus. The common cold is infectious from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone. Most people will be infectious for around 2 weeks. Symptoms are usually worse during the first 2 to 3 days, and this is when you’re most likely to spread the virus.

*Some people are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women and children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old.