So you think you may be coming down with something..

I’ve been getting messages and calls from friends asking if they have COVID 19. My best answer, even before hearing their symptoms, is typically (and somewhat playfully)...maybe. First of all, I’m not that kind of doctor, so if they’re seriously worried they should be asking someone else. Second of all, the CDC claims that most of us will get exposed to this virus in the next year, and a currently unknown but probably small percentage of people who get exposed to it will be infected, and if we get infected most of us will have mild symptoms if we even have any symptoms at all. So you may be reading this post, feeling fairly healthy, and already have the virus in your system. However, if you are feeling sick, you are (currently) far more likely to have something else. A health influencer on Instagram I follow shared a story about going to 4 different clinics in an attempt to get a CV diagnosis. She ultimately went home defeated. It’s some other virus, the doctors told her. Funny enough, if she was diagnosed with CV, she would have been sent home to rest and recover anyway. There’s no need for her to be in a clinic. And she unnecessarily exposed herself to countless sick people, all while taking up the precious time and resources of our health care providers. So let’s take a look at what else you might be suffering from in order to take some of the burden off the health care system.

You may have the common flu. Flu symptoms come on fairly quickly while Covid19 symptoms come on more gradually. With both illnesses you’re likely to feel chest discomfort with a cough and a fever. If you have a sore throat, sneezing or a runny nose and a general feeling of weakness, think more flu. If you have a shortness of breath, think more CV. Like CV, the flu can be very deadly for the young, the old and people with compromised immune systems. It can kill up to 60,000 Americans annually. It spreads, much like the CV. from coughing and sneezing as well as close contact from the infirmed. 

You may also have the common cold. Colds can come from exposure to 1 of 200 different viruses, including many types of corona viruses not named covid 19. Colds are no fun to get, but are much less debilitating than the flu. Cold symptoms come on gradually, usually with a sore throat, sneezing and a stuffy or runny nose. Like covid 19, a cold can cause a cough as well as chest discomfort, but if you have the aforementioned symptoms of a cold, a mere cold is likely what you have. Symptoms can last days to weeks. Colds can also lead to secondary infections in your ears, sinuses and even eyes. Yes, your eyes can get a cold as well. 

You may have a norovirus, also known as a stomach bug. This is truly an awful virus, but thankfully only lasts for a day or two. It doesn’t have much in common with CV, but I thought it worth mentioning anyway because both can result in aches and chills. However, norovirus is famous for severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It affects roughly 20 million Americans annually. Few people die from it, but almost half a million Americans end up in the emergency room every year due to severe dehydration. This is typically spread by contaminated food, either from a contaminated water source or from an infected person preparing it. If any good comes from CV it may be that we become more mindful of washing our hands and hopefully spread much less norovirus. 

You could also be suffering from allergies. Both CV and allergies can result in a dry cough, shortness of breath, fever, headaches and fatigue. But with allergies you are likely to experience a runny nose, sneezing and irritated eyes as well.

I hope this post doesn’t create more fear about getting sick. But I do hope that this pandemic awakens people to the fact that we’ve been suffering from infectious illnesses long before covid 19 and have a great deal of room for improvement when it comes to boosting natural immunity and minimizing the unnecessary spread of disease.