Is it COVID or is it Flu?

Today, if you wake up with a headache, fever, sore throat, cough and body aches, you probably will spend significant time wondering if it is the flu or COVID. In the past, you may have spent a few minutes running down a list of people you’d been around who had the flu, but now you have to worry about exposure to COVID-19. As the threat of the new Omicron variant looms large, we have to be especially vigilant with ourselves and our children. So how do you know if it’s Influenza A or if it’s COVID? At Medco ER & Urgent Care in Plano, TX, our board-certified physicians are here to help you answer that dilemma.

“The difficulty is in the shared symptoms,” said Medco ER & Urgent Care’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan. “Both influenza and COVID can present with fever, chills, muscle soreness, and cough. Some people experience diarrhea and vomiting with either condition. So, short of getting tested, it is hard to know whether it’s flu or COVID.”

Shared symptoms

There are many similarities between flu and COVID-19, though the severity can vary. People may experience very mild cases of either condition, or they can experience severe cases and even need hospitalization. Either flu or COVID can result in secondary infections, such as pneumonia, and require advanced treatment.

Here’s a list of the common symptoms¹ that can occur in either condition:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Unique symptoms

“One of the most prominent symptoms that may help you know the difference is the classic loss of the senses of taste and smell. Usually, that is a good way to realize you probably have COVID and should come in and get tested right away,” said Dr. Khan. “Additionally, if you have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, that is another indicator of COVID, but it could also mean you’re moving into a chest condition with the flu. But that should be looked at right away by one of our qualified physicians.”

How it is spread

Both the flu and COVID are highly contagious, though they are caused by completely different viruses. They are both spread through contact with other people who are infected with the germs. Coughs and sneezes can transmit microscopic droplets laden with the virus, or even just talking can transmit the virus. When these droplets are inhaled or enter through the eyes or mouth, the virus then spreads to that person.²

Medco ER & Urgent Care is ready to help

If you are unsure if you have the flu or COVID, come to Medco ER & Urgent Care right away for a Rapid Antigen Test with one swipe swab. Results are ready in 15 minutes, so you will know right away if you have the flu or COVID. Not ready to come in? Try a telehealth visit and get fast advice from one of our board-certified physicians.

• Book a Rapid Antigen Test at Plano:

3960 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)

            Call us @ 469-392-4000

• Book a Rapid Antigen Test at Carrollton:

2745 E Belt Line Road, Carrollton, TX 75006 

¹ https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm

² https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vs-flu/art-20490339