It’s that season again – the weather is cold and there’s a nip in the air. The kids are back in school after Christmas break and the wind chill and allergies can bring on runny noses and coughing fits.
More and more folks are showing up to the ER with coughing, fevers, chills, and body aches. How do you know if it’s just a simple winter cold or if you have the flu or RSV (a virus particularly troublesome for babies)? Most people don’t know the difference between these and don’t get help as quickly as they should.
Here’s a quick chart to show the basic differences between an influenza infection and the other viral upper respiratory infections:
If you have the flu, you will feel miserable. You will have to take time off of work or school. You have to stay away from other people so that you don’t pass it on to them, especially babies and the elderly. Physicians Premier ER offers syndromic testing to find a definite answer among the 50 most likely pathogens causing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, including flu and RSV. Get an answer, keep others safe, and avoid unnecessary medications- that’s the Physicians PremiER pledge to making a healthier community.
