Fever, Headaches, Weakness? Flu, Coronavirus Symptoms Similar

D'Ann Lawrence White
·3 min read

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The symptoms are eerily familiar to anyone who's been following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates — fever, chills, headaches, cough, muscle aches, fatigue, weakness, nausea, diarrhea.

Yes, these are all indicators of the coronavirus. But they also happen to be the very same symptoms people have when they come down with the flu.

To spare yourself and your families a lot of anxiety, the Florida Department of Health is recommending that, this flu season especially, people get flu vaccinations.

There are two important reasons not to skip the flu shot this year.

Reducing illness and hospitalization from the flu is more critical this year to protect frontline health care workers and hospital systems, which are already inundated with coronavirus patients.

And while a flu shot doesn't guarantee immunity from the flu, you'll be more likely to get tested for the coronavirus if you begin experiencing the symptoms common to both viruses and, more importantly, prevent these two viruses from circulating at the same time.

The flu and the coronavirus are both highly contagious respiratory illnesses, but they’re caused by different viruses.

The flu is caused by influenza viruses – usually Influenza A or Influenza B viruses. There are a lot of influenza viruses out there – and flu vaccines have been around since the mid-1940s. Each year, specific flu vaccines are recommended to fight the strains of influenza that research indicates will be the most common that season.

The new coronavirus is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a virus humans have never experienced before, which means the human body hadn't had a chance to build antibodies to fight it.

There is no COVID-19 vaccine yet, but scientists and researchers are working on it.

respiratory illnesses, but until there is a steady vaccine supply against the coronavirus, the

The DOH is urging residents to contact their health care provider or pharmacy to get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible. Once vaccinated, it takes about two weeks to offer protection.

Additionally, people are less likely to spread the flu and COVID-19 if everyone continues to:

  • Stay home if you're sick

  • Cover coughs and sneezes

  • Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly

  • Wear a face covering when around others or if social distancing isn't possible

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic doesn't show signs of disappearing any time soon although the CDC believes the use of masks and social distancing has helped reduce the number of positive cases.

As of Tuesday, 786,311 residents in Florida tested positive for the coronavirus and 16,709 people in Florida have died as a result of the virus.

On Monday, there was a spike in cases to 4,289, compared to Sunday 3,338 and Saturday 2,356.

Five people in Florida died from the coronavirus Monday, four on Sunday and six on Saturday.

In Pinellas County, a total of 25,414 people have contracted the virus since the pandemic was declared with 2,496 hospitalized and 27 deaths.

The county currently has a 5.75 percent positivity rate.

Click here to check the number of positive cases in your town.

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This article originally appeared on the Dunedin Patch