Top things to know about this season's “big 3” viruses

The "big three” season is here. This is the time when respiratory illnesses such as influenza (flu), COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) make their rounds, and guess what? It’s hard to know which one you have because the symptoms are so similar. Unfortunately, all three have the potential to make you seriously ill.

The best advice: Get the vaccines available to you, or at least talk to your primary care team about them.

What you need to know about the flu, COVID and RSV

By the numbers

• COVID caused 5,223 deaths in the U.S. during August 2024.
• The flu caused 146 deaths in the U.S. during August 2024.
• RSV is blamed for 6,000 to 10,000 deaths in the U.S. every year.

The symptoms

• fever
• runny nose
• sore throat
• cough

The list above contains the general symptoms of all three respiratory illnesses. Your physician will listen to determine if it’s an upper respiratory tract infection or a lower respiratory tract infection. Upper respiratory tract infections are less of a concern. Lower respiratory tract infections can become deadly because they are affecting the lungs.

• Symptoms of an upper tract infection include sore throat and post-nasal drip.
• Lower tract infections include symptoms such as chest pain, coughing and wheezing. This is impacting the lung area.

Get tested

It is hard to determine whether you have COVID, flu or RSV without a test.

• COVID tests can be taken at home or in the clinic.
• Home flu tests are hard to come by, so a clinic test is your best bet.
• RSV tests must be taken at the clinic; there are no home tests.

Treatment

• For COVID, Paxlovid is recommended if you have a comorbidity such as asthma, obesity or chronic lung disease.
• If you have the flu, antiviral drugs like Tamiflu work best if taken within two days of getting sick.
• RSV is most troublesome for babies. In mild cases, you keep the child hydrated like you would for a common cold. Severe cases need to be treated in a hospital. RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the U.S.

Vaccines

• The most important job of the vaccines, especially COVID and flu, is to prevent severe illness.
• COVID vaccines reduce your chances of hospitalization by 80%.
• Babies really need protection from RSV. If an expectant mother is scheduled to deliver during fall and winter, she should consider getting the RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy so her child will have antibodies to protect from illness.
• People over 60 should also consider getting the RSV vaccine.

Interesting facts

• If you’ve recently had COVID, your immune system is already ready to battle the illness. You can wait three months before getting the next vaccine.
• For reasons we do not know, our immunity to COVID is not long lasting. About three months after infection your immunity starts to wane, which is why staying up to date on vaccines is important.