Much of the country is in the grip of a ”tridemic”. That means three pesky pathogens are making their way into classrooms, workplaces, and homes just in time for holiday gatherings. The triple threat consists of COVID, influenza, and RSV (a respiratory virus).

All three can hit the young and the old particularly hard, and yes, it is possible to get all three at once.

Symptoms of the flu include the following:
• Fever or feeling feverish/chills
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose, cough
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

Symptoms of COVID are very similar to the flu, but with loss of taste and/or smell as the tell-tale sign of COVID infection.

RSV symptoms include

• Runny nose.
• Decrease in appetite.
• Coughing.
• Sneezing.
• Fever.
• Wheezing.

Preventing illness is advised, of course, but once you get sick, what is the best way to get through the illness?

If you are the caregiver, avoiding the sick person is going to be difficult, but it’s not a bad idea to mask up when close to the sick person.

To keep the sick patient as isolated from other family members as possible, the CDC has “sick room” tips. Read here for more information.

The CDC recommends pretty much the same treatment for all three illnesses: continue breast-feeding or bottle-feeding infants as usual, make sure the patient gets rest and stays hydrated. Treat symptoms with over-the-counter fever reducers and If the sick person has trouble breathing, get medical help right away. There are anti-virals available for high-risk patients, and they need to be started early in the course of the illness.

Stay healthy!