The fall season is a festive and enjoyable time of the year for many, but the risk of seasonal illnesses is always around the corner. Since the COVID pandemic, seasonal illness risks are more alarming for patients that are unsure about new spikes in cases. Illnesses may also have different but similar symptoms such as COVID-19 and the flu.

When determining your care options for illnesses it helps to understand the main illnesses that are likely to spread during the fall season. If you need COVID-19 testing, then visit AFC Urgent Care Denver testing locations and visit our urgent care centers if you need symptom treatment for anything else. 

COVID-19

The COVID pandemic upended normal life in 2020 and has impacted 2021 even though vaccines have been widely distributed throughout the United States. The virus is still spreading and the Delta variant adds additional complications for unvaccinated patients.

COVID-19 testing is still a good idea for patients that have been at a crowded gathering with another guest that has a positive case. Our team highly recommends that each patient get vaccinated if they haven't already (and pending any rare medical exemptions). Symptoms to watch out for include sneezing, fever, cough, nausea, and congestion. COVID symptoms are likely to worsen significantly as the week progresses so make sure you monitor symptoms as they progress.

Influenza and Flu

Influenza has taken a back seat to COVID-19 in terms of importance in the public eye, but the virus is likely to compound and confuse patients with symptoms. The flu symptoms include the same as colds and coronavirus, such as sneezing, congestion, and fever, which make it hard to discern the illness a patient has.

The best way to prevent influenza is to get a flu shot early in the season so that your body builds immunity before peak spread of the flu virus.

Common colds

The common cold is caused by seasonal rhinoviruses that cause the traditional symptoms of congestion, fever, etc. However, the cold is not spread because of the drop in temperature but rather the spread of colds when many people share indoor spaces during prolonged periods of time. The close proximity of  people indoors allows the virus to spread at an accelerated pace than in normal season, likely due to people being outdoors less as the temperature drops.

When you have a seasonal cold make sure you get plenty of rest and use OTC medications, as the instructions advise, to alleviate symptoms.