Differentiating the flu and COVID-19 as flu season approaches in Maryland
Cases of the flu are starting to pick up across the country. Experts expect influenza to make a comeback after it was virtually extinct last year. But COVID-19 could muddy the waters as far as the accurate reporting of those cases.
Experts say the average person can't tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 symptoms without a test and the similarity could make getting an accurate read on the flu season more difficult.
"The good news is this is the type of flu activity that we see in years that are normally mild flu years," said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The bad news is the strain that's emerged so far, called an H-3 strain, is not a perfect match to this year's flu vaccine.
"So that may mean that we'll see a little less efficacy, but it's a good thing to remember that the flu vaccine contains four different viruses, and it may be that the other viruses are really good matches to what's circulating," Pekosz said.
The flu is in Maryland, but the state health department's website has it listed as minimal activity. The state tracks cases of what's called "influenza like illness" or ILI, which is just someone with respiratory symptoms, but Pekosz says those numbers might not be as accurate this year.
"In previous years, the first sign or two of respiratory illness may not have caused people to report that in any way, but now because everybody's aware of COVID-19 and testing for that more, people are reporting those early respiratory symptoms and getting a COVID test," Pekosz said.
But he says health care providers might not have access to those results and would still report it as an ILI. The state keeps track separately of cases confirmed by testing for both COVID-19 and the flu. But either way, if you have those symptoms it's best to take precautions.
"I think even if your COVID-19 negative, it could be that you're flu positive. It's a little bit harder to get flu tests, but it's just as important if you're sick with influenza to stay home and not spread that around," Pekosz said.
Pekosz says the true test will be what happens two weeks after Thanksgiving travel to see if COVID-19 or flu cases go up.
