Cold or Flu: How to Tell Which Virus you Have

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CLEVELAND - With so many viruses going around right now, like cold, flu, COVID and RSV, it can be hard to know which one you have and how to treat it.

“That’s why it's really important to seek medical attention because one symptom alone doesn't diagnose you with one or the other of these,” said Neha Vyas, MD, family medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic. “It's a constellation, meaning a group of symptoms that will help your physician determine what illness you have.”

Dr. Vyas said when a person comes in who is sick, they’ll go over their symptoms and, if needed, test for the flu, COVID and RSV– three of the most common viruses circulating at the moment.

There is no test available for the common cold or norovirus, also known as the stomach bug.

She said those can typically be diagnosed based on symptoms alone.

So, why is it so important for someone to know what illness they have?

Dr. Vyas explained that it can help when determining what medications to prescribe or how long it may take for them to get better.

As for prevention, she offered the following tips.

“First and foremost, stay home if you're unwell, don't spread this to other people, cover your cough, cover your sneeze, cover your secretions. And if you do blow into a tissue, then please make sure you dispose of it properly and don't leave it lying around because that, too, can contain droplets that may infect others,” she said.

She notes that vaccinations can also reduce the spread of these viruses.

If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, she encourages you to do so.