How will you know if you have the flu versus COVID-19 this Autumn?

Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Riding in Cars with Researchers. I’m Dr. Jeff Kingsley. Let’s talk about flu versus COVID-19. Bottom line….you won’t. There is such a tremendous overlap, even in the core symptoms of flu and COVID that telling the difference by symptomatology would be rough. And then frankly, COVID presents in people differently; even people in the same family with remarkably different symptoms. And so what that means is we’re going to have to test you for both all season long, because we won’t be able to tell the difference by symptoms alone.

Now you could say, “Well, I’ve got either influenza or COVID so I’m just going to hunker down in my home, regardless”. The treatments that we use for both are different. Your ability to participate in research is different. The guidelines regarding quarantine are different. And so I think the best course of action is to be tested for influenza A and B and to be tested for COVID-19 and let that guide your decisions, your length of quarantine, your treatment options, your research options. It’s going to be a long autumn and winter.

Thanks for riding along!

Send me topics you want me to talk about at jeff.kingsley@centricityresearch.com!

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