COVID and flu are going wild in SC, but how long will they make you sick? Here’s what to know

Patrick McCreless
Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Have you gotten sick yet this winter?

If not, count yourself among the lucky as both the flu and COVID-19 have been running wild across South Carolina for months now. And with all of February left to go, there’s still plenty of time for residents to contract one or even both of the viruses.

“Influenza-like visits to hospitals has gone down. Our data continues to trend down, but we still could still see another spike,” Dr. Martha Buchanan, Lead Medical Consultant for DHEC, said in a Thursday press briefing.

But how long does it take to get over being sick from the flu or COVID? Both viruses produce similar symptoms, but there are differences too.

Below are descriptions of what you can expect from an average case of COVID or the flu.

How long does COVID last?

According to the World Health Organization, COVID symptoms usually begin five to six days after exposure and will then last one to 14 days. The organization notes that anyone can get sick from COVID and become seriously ill or die, but most people will recover without treatment. Also, people over 60 years old and those with existing medical conditions have a higher risk of getting seriously ill.

Symptoms

People may experience different symptoms from COVID. The most common are:

  • Sore throat

  • Fever

  • Chills

Less common symptoms:

  • Muscle aches

  • Severe fatigue

  • Runny or blocked nose

  • Headache

  • Sore eyes

  • Dizziness

  • Tight chest pain

  • Shortness of breath

  • Loss or change of sense of taste or smell

  • People with these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention

  • Difficulty breathing, especially at rest

  • Confusion

  • Drowsiness or loss of consciousness

  • Persistent pain or pressure in chest

  • Skin being cold or clammy

  • Loss of speech or movement

How long does the flu last?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people who get the flu will recover in a few days to about two weeks. However, some people may develop complications, such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. People most susceptible to the flu are those 65 years old and older, people with certain chronic medical conditions like diabetes, pregnant women and children under 5 years old.

Symptoms

  • Fever

  • Aches

  • Chills

  • Fatigue

  • Chest discomfort; cough

  • Stuffy nose

  • Sore throat

  • Headache

SC COVID & flu cases

South Carolina had 470 COVID hospitalizations the week of Jan. 13, the latest CDC data available shows. Below are the number of weekly COVID hospitalizations for South Carolina for the last three months.

  • Week of Jan. 13: 470

  • Week of Jan. 6: 550

  • Week of Dec. 30: 479

  • Week of Dec. 23: 385

  • Week of Dec. 16: 259

  • Week of Dec. 9: 243

  • Week of Dec. 2: 253

  • Week of Nov. 25: 247

  • Week of Nov. 18: 230

  • Week of Nov. 11: 218

  • Week of Nov. 4: 203

Flu

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control again announced widespread flu activity for the state in its latest Wednesday report.

There were 1,629 lab-confirmed flu tests reported the week of Jan. 14 through Jan. 20. There have been 39,740 lab-confirmed tests in South Carolina to date this flu season.

The latest data shows that statewide, 6.9% of patient visits to healthcare providers were for flu-like illness the week of Jan. 14, which is above the state’s 3.2% baseline.

Also for the week of Jan. 14, there were 248 flu-associated hospitalizations reported by 54 hospitals. There have been 3,546 such hospitalizations so far this flu season.

There were seven flu-related deaths reported in the state for the week of Jan. 14, however, three of those happened during previous weeks. There have been 78 flu-related deaths in the state so far this season.

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