Do you have COVID, a cold or the flu? Here’s what to know about viruses in WA state now

It’s inevitable — you’re either the one coughing and sneezing or you’re hearing sniffles and the blowing of noses from across the room.

Wintertime brings unpleasant illnesses, and this time around there are several viruses that are circulating in Washington state. How do you know if your congestion is the common cold, flu, COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV?

Dean Blumberg, the chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Davis, broke it down.

What viruses are in Washington right now?

There are different types of viruses that people can catch in the state this winter: COVID, influenza and RSV.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes runny nose and sneezing, and can be more dangerous to the very young and the elderly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s five-week average PCR test detections, RSV cases are starting to trend downward as of November after a spike around the end of September.

“We’ve got influenza also on the rise, and then COVID never went away and it’s having a small increase also,” Blumberg said. “We’re hopeful that this winter we don’t get the large waves that we saw the last two winters.”

COVID cases appear to be remaining fairly steady in Washington, according to the state’s dashboard. The daily case rate was up slightly as of the end of November at 68 per 100,000 residents over the previous seven days, and test positivity increased to 7.3%. It was 7.9% the weekprior to that.

Washington state numbers could be even higher. The Washington state Department of Health has noted that a security breach of a state hospital organization compromised case data, hospitalization numbers, and death toll and testing information. The DOH said in a notice on the COVID dashboard that information is “incomplete in some counties from October 2, 2022.”

The breach could impact data for as many as 100 COVID cases per day, as well as the accuracy of information about hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID. In a Nov. 30 announcement, the DOH noted that the “issue is likely to last for the next several weeks.”

That said, Blumberg thinks influenza is going to be a major concern this season.

What COVID variants are dominant in the state?

New COVID variants are constantly appearing, with B.1.1.529 and BA lineages, otherwise known as Omicron, dominating Washington state currently.

Information about variants in Washington that are being tracked, and how to protect yourself, are available on the state’s COVID-19 variants page.

How do I know what virus I have?

There are clinical tests, such as nasal swabs, that can help differentiate which virus you caught. But you can also tell by your symptoms.

With a regular cold, you might get a runny nose, cough, sore throat and sneezing. RSV, Blumberg said, will cause a very watery, runny nose and more sneezing, compared to common colds, COVID and the flu.

COVID is more associated with the loss of taste and smell.

As for the flu, you’ll notice that you’ll have very sudden onset of symptoms, such as fever, chills, body aches and a headache.

How to treat my illness at home

If you’re going to the store, you might find that the cold and flu medicine aisle’s almost empty.

For those that have COVID or the flu, you can contact your doctor for treatment. Blumberg said most people can take Paxlovid if they have COVID to reduce the course of the disease and decrease the need for hospitalization and death. If you have the flu, there’s Tamiflu and Baloxavir, which can cut down the duration of the illness.

Washington state’s DOH has more information about Paxlovid and other treatments, as well as how to access telehealth resources.

If you’re sick with RSV or regular colds, Blumberg recommends using symptomatic therapy. This includes using a humidifier, resting, staying hydrated and drinking Tylenol or Ibuprofen. For children, he said using bulb syringes will help clear their nasal mucus and make breathing easier.

You can also drink 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of raw, local honey to reduce coughing.

Avoid getting sick this winter

You can avoid getting infected by these viruses by staying up to date with your vaccines.

Blumberg recommends you get your COVID vaccine, booster and flu vaccine.

“Even if you get influenza, there’s usually several different strains that are circulating every year,” he said, “and so you should still get vaccinated so that you don’t get infected with a different strain later in the season.”