Viruses like the flu, COVID and RSV tend to surge during the winter so NBC medical reporter Dr. Akshay Syal joins TODAY to share a breakdown of each virus, a list of who is most at risk, when you should see a doctor if you are experiencing symptoms and tips to stay protected.
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>>> THIS MORNING IN “TODAY’S” CHECKLIST WE ARE TALK ABOUT THREE VIRUSES THAT TEND TO SURGE THIS TIME OF YEAR. FLU, COVID, RSV AND THEY CAN ALL CAUSE SERIOUS ILLNESSES, ESPECIALLY IN VULNERABLE GROUPS. WE HAVE MEDICAL REPORTER DR. AKSHAY SYAL TO HELP US STAY PROTECTED. >> GOOD MORNING. >> START WITH THE BIG THREE AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FLU, COVID AND RSV. SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH WHEN STANDING HERE BUT WHEN HOME AND DON’T FEEL GOOD AND YOU’RE NOT SURE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN TELL. >> IT’S A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, RIGHT, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HEARD THAT PHRASE TRIPLEDEMIC AND THESE ARE THE THREE VIRUSES. ULTIMATELY THE BEST WAY TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE IS A TEST. THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR IT’S. WE HAVE SYMPTOMS THAT I THINK CAN HELP PEOPLE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN. WHEN WE THINK FLU FREIGHT TRAIN. ONE MINUTE FEELING FINE AND NEXT MINUTE THREE SEASONS DEEP ON LOVE ISLAND ON THE COUCH AND SICK QUICKLY. WITH COVID YOU CAN HAVE STOMACH UPSET BECAUSE THE VIRUS CAN GET INTO OUR BODIES AND WITH RSV, THE BIG THING TO KEEP IN MIND, WHEEZING. THE VIRUS CAN GET STICKY AND WORRY ABOUT IT CAUSING LUNG PROBLEMS IN YOUNGER AND OLDER ADULTS. THE GOOD NEWS, THERE ARE RAPID TESTS AVAILABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLU AND COVID. >> REALLY? >> AND NONE OF MY PATIENTS KNOW THIS. >> I DIDN’T KNOW THAT. >> I MEAN I’VE KNOWN TO HAVE THE COVID TEST BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT? >> DID NOT. >> YEAH. >> REALLY? >> THAT’S WHY WE DO THIS, RIGHT. IF YOU TEST FOR THE FLU VERSUS COVID THERE ARE TREATMENTS. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHICH ONE. FINALLY VIRUS VERSUS BACTERIA. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY DOC I HAVE THE FLU, NEED A Z PACK. NO ANTIBIOTICS. >> WE ALL WANT THE Z PACK. >> YOU SHOULD SEE MY MESSAGES. >> WHO IS MOST AT RISK? >> WHO’S MOST AT RISK? ANYONE WHO HAS A WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM. PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65, THOSE WHO ARE PREGNANT, PREGNANT WOMEN AND WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA, HEART OR LUNG DISEASE. ANY CONDITION TO WEAK THAN IMMUNE SYSTEM IS WHEN WE CALL HIGH RISK AND IF YOU ARE ANY OF THESE PEOPLE HERE AND HAVE ANY SICKNESS CALL YOUR DOCTOR BECAUSE WE CAN PRESCRIBE TREATMENT FOR SOME OF THE VIRUSS. >> DON’T LET IT LINGER. >> EXACTLY. >> TO THAT END, DOC, HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN TO MAYBE TRY TO WEED OUT THE ILLNESS VERSUS WHEN YOU SHOULD PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL YOUR DOCTOR. >> WHEN DO YOU SIT AT HOME VERSUS CALL ME. RED FLAG SYMPTOMS AS WE SAY. WE HAVE SOME HERE. DIFFICULTY BREATHING IS I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT. AT HOME AND CAN’T CATCH YOUR BREATH, YOU’RE WINDED OUT OF BREATH, CALL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY OR 911. HAVING CHEST PAIN, SEVERE WEAKNESS, SEVERE COUGH. WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? IF YOU’RE COVERING UP GREEN PHLEGM, HIGH FEVER THAT WON’T GO AWAY. THE BIG ONE MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW, IF YOU START TO GET BETTER AND THEN GET WORSE, CALL US IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE A BACTERIAL INFECTION AT THAT POINT. >> WOW. DID NOT KNOW THAT. DYLAN HAS A FEW QUESTIONS. >> HOW CAN WE PREVENT GETTING ANYTHING TO BEGIN WITH AND STAY SAFE? >> NOW IS THE BEST TIME. OCTOBER. SORT OF ABOUT TO HIT FLU SEASON AND FLU BEFORE BOO. >> I HAVEN’T, BUT I LIKE IT. >> ENDORSED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS. YOUR FLU SHOT BEFORE HALLOWEEN. DO IT WHEN GETTING YOUR COSTUME. THERE’S AN AT HOME FLU VACCINE THROUGH THE NOSE. >> FOR AGES 2 TO 49. YOU CAN ORDER IT TO YOUR DOOR. THEN FLU AND COVID IS OKAY TO GET THE VACCINES AT THE SAME TIME AND RSV OVER THE AGE OF 75, EVEN AS YOUNG AS 60 IF YOU HAVE THE HIGH RISK CONDITIONS WE MENTIONED. >> WHAT ABOUT WAYS AT HOME TO JUST, I DON’T KNOW, WARD OFF ANY KIND OF ILLNESS? >> WARD OFF THE BAD. KEEP THE HANDS WASHED. IT’S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. IT DOES GET RID OF THE VIRUS. STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK. I KNOW WE SAY THIS ALL THE TIM. >> YES. >> SO HARD TO DO. >> WEAR A MASK IF YOU ARE SICK OR HIGH RISK AND TRAVELING. AND IMPROVED VENTILATION. GET AN AIR PURIFIER AT HOME, MAKE SURE YOU ARE FILTERING THE AIR AT YOUR HOUSE AND SEEK EARLY TREATMENT ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGH-RISK PEOPLE. WE CAN PRESCRIBE TREATMENT AND THE EARLIER THE BETTER. >> LEARNED A LOT HERE. >> WHEN YOU’RE SICK ADVICE, THERE ARE FOLKS HERE. >> YOU TRY TO SUCK IT UP. >> YEAH. >> AND YOU DON’T KNOW HOW SICK YOU ARE. >> CALLING ONE OF YOU OUT. >>
