What You Need To Know About The Tripledemic

It’s important to know the symptoms of each virus to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, for the fastest way to recover. Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV share many common symptoms, such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. This can make it difficult to distinguish between the three conditions.

However, there are some key differences between the viruses that help doctors better understand and diagnose a patient. For instance, the Influenza virus may also cause body aches, fatigue, and nausea, while COVID-19 may cause loss of taste or smell, and RSV typically only affects young children and causes severe cold-like symptoms. Below are the common symptoms you would find among all three viruses, as well as the ones that distinguish the three.

For the Influenza virus, symptoms usually appear suddenly upon exposure–anywhere from 1-4 days after infection–and they typically range from mild to severe. The following are some of the likely symptoms caused by the Influenza Virus:

• fever* or feeling feverish/chills
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body aches
• headaches
• fatigue (tiredness)
• vomiting and diarrhea (common in children)

For RSV, symptoms usually appear to be cold-like that occur anywhere from four to six days after infection. Once again, the virus is extremely common among children, though it is a possibility that adults can be infected and affected by the virus, as well. The following are some of the likely symptoms caused by RSV:

• Runny nose
• Loss of appetite
• Minor or severe coughing
• Low or high fever
• Wheezing
• Irritability
• Sneezing
• Difficulty breathing

For COVID-19, there is a wide range of mild and severe symptoms–they can appear anywhere from 2-14 days after exposure. The following are some of the possible symptoms found in patients infected with COVID-19:

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

As mentioned earlier, all three viruses typically share symptoms very similarly; however, there are some symptoms that help physicians better diagnose a patient accurately. For example, patients infected with COVID-19 are likely to experience a change in or a loss of taste and/or smell (can occur in flu, but is very unlikely).

COVID-19 also targets other areas of the body, such as the lungs and heart, or even cancer cells, so experiencing intense muscle pain is also a common symptom–it is also why those with existing cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases, or malignant tumors, are classified as high-risk patients. In most cases where physicians are suspicious of a potential COVID-19 infection, they will test you for the virus.

The flu, RSV, and COVID-19 are all highly contagious respiratory diseases that are contracted through the respiratory system, such as the mouth and nose/sinuses. The best way to prevent all three illnesses is by practicing basic hygiene and transmission awareness. This includes avoiding touching your eyes, mouth, and nose before washing your hands after touching frequently touched surfaces, avoiding sneezing or coughing on your hands, covering your sneezes and coughs (preferably with your shirt or napkin), and maintaining distance from ill individuals or individuals showing signs of infection.