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How do I know if I'm getting a cold or Covid?

Muscle pain or body aches. Headache Vomiting or diarrhea. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (more common with COVID-19) Change in loss of taste or smell (more common with COVID-19)

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Cooler temperatures and the start of the school year signal the start of seasonal sicknesses. Viruses that cause common colds and the flu will mix with COVID-19 and make it difficult to know what’s making you ill. Gundersen’s infection preventionists Megan Meller and Meghan Buechel help you tell them apart.

What are the symptoms of a cold, the flu and COVID-19?

Cold symptoms include:

Cough

Runny or stuffy nose

Sneezing

Sore throat

COVID-19 and the flu share symptoms, including:

Fever

Chills

Cough

Fatigue

Sore throat

Runny or stuffy nose

Muscle pain or body aches

Headache Vomiting or diarrhea

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (more common with COVID-19)

Change in loss of taste or smell (more common with COVID-19)

Am I at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19 or flu?

Let’s be clear: Both COVID-19 and flu can result in severe illness, complications, hospitalizations and even death. What’s scary about COVID-19 is that healthy people with no known risk factors can get seriously ill. We don’t know yet why some people get really sick from COVID-19 and others don’t.

High-risk groups for flu complications:

Pregnant women

Children younger than 2 years old

High-risk groups for COVID-19 complications:

People with certain underlying medical conditions

Pregnant women

Some of my symptoms match each virus. How do I know what I'm sick with?

Getting tested for COVID-19 and the flu is the easiest way to narrow down what might be making you sick.

You should get immediate emergency care if you have:

Trouble breathing

Persistent pain or pressure in the chest

New confusion

Inability to wake or stay awake

Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

What are the treatment options for a common cold, or mild cases of the flu or COVID-19?

Decongestants, saline rinses and pain relivers can help with symptom relief. You should also: Drink lots of water, juice, or broth to replace fluids lost from a fever

Use a cool mist humidifier to help ease congestion and coughing

Prop yourself with 2 or 3 pillows to make it easier to breathe or sleep

Limit the level and frequency of physical activity

What are the treatment options for flu?

Some people may benefit from a flu antiviral to speed recovery, especially if they are at higher risk of complications. Antivirals are not sold over the counter and must be given within 48 hours from when symptoms begin. Talk to your medical provider to see if antiviral treatment is right for you.

What are the treatment options for COVID-19?

For people at high risk of disease progression, your healthcare provider might recommend that you receive additional treatment. They will decide whether additional treatments are appropriate for you.

Is there anything I can do to protect myself from serious illness, hospitalization or worse?

Get vaccinated. It’s that simple. The COVID-19 vaccines are available now to everyone 12 and older. Flu shots are now available during some clinic appointments, while Gundersen will hold its annual flu shot clinics later this fall. You can receive both vaccines at the same time, although we recommend the COVID-19 vaccine immediately. Visit gundersenhealth.org in the coming months for full details on our flu clinics.

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Is it good to sit in the sun when you're sick?

Perhaps the answer is in the sunshine. Vitamin D — which can be had for free from the sun's rays — boosts immunity, according to the largest and most nationally representative study so far on the subject. “The major source of vitamin D is sunlight,” said Dr.

Rethink orange juice and lozenges infused with vitamin C for staving off colds and the flu. Perhaps the answer is in the sunshine. Vitamin D — which can be had for free from the sun’s rays — boosts immunity, according to the largest and most nationally representative study so far on the subject. “The major source of vitamin D is sunlight,” said Dr. Adit Ginde, a University of Colorado-Denver surgery professor and lead author of the study, done in conjunction with Harvard Medical School. “That’s one potential reason that we have so many respiratory infections in the winter.” The study examined vitamin D levels in the blood of 19,000 people. Those with the lowest levels of the vitamin were about 40 percent more likely to have had a recent respiratory infection. Still, the study authors said clinical trials must confirm their results before vitamin D is recommended to prevent colds and flu. Vitamin C has long been associated with boosting immunity against upper-respiratory infections, including colds and flu. But little scientific evidence actually supports that, doctors said. “It gets out in the lay public and just gets self-perpetuated,” Ginde said. “It’s one of those things that people say it doesn’t hurt to take more. But the science surrounding Vitamin D has really expanded over the last couple of years.”

Jennifer Brown: 303-954-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com

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