Have you got flu, RSV, bronchiolitis, Covid or just a cold? Symptoms of all the nasty bugs rife right now

Smelly feelings?

Everyone seems to be afflicted with hacking coughs and sore throats during this time of year.

Which winter bug is making you feel so bad right now? Could it be the flu, RSV, Covid, or acold?

Given that flu season has already begun, the virus is a serious possibility for your illness.

Health chiefs have warned that cases have increased by two-thirds in a single week.

Last week (the week ending November 24), the percentage of people in England who tested positive for the virus and had symptoms increased by 67%.

According to new monitoring statistics from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), this has led to a 50% increase in hospitalized bugs, reaching 1.81 per 100,000 individuals.

The daily average of positivity rates increased from 3.9% the week before to 6.5%, which indicates that almost seven out of every 100 tests were positive.

In addition, bronchitis, norovirus, and RSV are all on the rise, and let’s not forget that COVID is still circulating.

The increase in winter illnesses over the previous week, along with an increase in ED visits, is due to flu, according to UKHSA consultant epidemiologist Dr. Alexander Allen.

Avoid interacting with people, especially those who are susceptible, if you are exhibiting flu or COVID-19 symptoms, such as a high fever, cough, and fatigue and aches.

Although the number of flu cases has not yet reached the peak of last winter, they are now more than three times greater than they were at this time last year, when only 2% of tests were positive.

Nevertheless, the present levels remain below those of 2022, when the deadliest flu season in five years began and positive rates reached 10%.

The flu will seem like an exacerbated cold to many people.

According to the NHS, flu symptoms might appear suddenly.

Among them are:

1. An aching body
2. A sudden high temperature
3. Feeling tired or exhausted
4. A dry cough
5. A sore throat
6. A headache
7. Difficulty sleeping
8. Loss of appetite
9. Diarrhoea or tummy pain
10. Feeling sick and being sick

Covid

According to the same data, COVID appears to be abating.

According to lab testing, the positive rate decreased by 10% last week to 3.5%.

Infection rates, however, are most likely even lower in practice.

This does not, however, imply that the bothersome bug has disappeared.

Additionally, it can be challenging to determine whether you have the problem because lateral flow testing are no longer free.

Covid symptoms that are mistaken for the flu or cold:

• A high temperature
• Aches
• Tiredness
• A cough or sore throat

RSV and bronchitis

As if those winter bugs weren’t enough, the latest statistics indicate that RSV is becoming more prevalent, with instances now occurring in all age groups.

RSV positive increased little from 11.7 percent last week to 13.8% this week.

By the time they are two years old, practically every youngster has contracted this extremely common illness.

However, it can sometimes progress to bronchiolitis, which can result in severe breathing problems that require hospital treatment.

According to UKHSA data, hospital visits for acute bronchiolitis are also on the rise, which is not surprising.

After contracting RSV, symptoms typically appear a few days later.

The majority of people merely have cold-like symptoms, like:

• A runny or blocked nose
• A cough
• Sneezing
• Tiredness
• A high temperature signs include your back or chest feeling hotter than usual, sweatiness and shivering (chills)

RSV-infected babies may also exhibit irritability and reduced feeding.

RSV may also result in the following if it causes a more severe infection, like bronchiolitis:

• A cough that gets worse
• Shortness of breath
• Faster breathing or long gaps between breaths
• Difficulty feeding (in babies) or loss of appetite
• Noisy breathing (wheezing)
• Confusion (in older adults)

The NHS will offer a free RSV vaccine to millions of individuals in the UK for the first time ever.

To combat RSV, everyone between the ages of 75 and 79 is entitled for one dosage of Pfizer’s vaccine Abrysvo.

In order to protect themselves and their unborn children, all women who are at least 28 weeks pregnant are also being invited to be vaccinated.

A cold

The common cold, or rhinovirus, is a moderate viral infection that is prevalent throughout the year.

According to Imperial College London professor John Tregoning, who previously spoke to The Sun, the bug “never really goes away” but typically peaks around October.

According to official guidelines, it’s usual for adults to get two colds a year and children to get eight or more.

According to the NHS, a typical cold can result in:

• A blocked or runny nose
• A sore throat
• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Coughs
• Sneezing
• A raised temperature
• Pressure in your ears and face
• Loss of taste and smell

A cold does not usually result in such a sharp rise in body temperature, which is how it differs from the flu.

Norovirus

In the meantime, in only two weeks, the number of instances of a horrible illness that causes violent episodes of vomiting and diarrhea has increased by more than 30%.

To prevent the extremely contagious virus from spreading further, they issued an urgent “stay at home warning” to anyone exhibiting any of its unmistakable signs.

According to a recent study by the UKHSA, reports of norovirus cases increased by 31.6% between November 4 and November 17 in comparison to the two weeks prior.

“Norovirus activity is now increasing again across all age groups, with the biggest increase in adults, particularly adults aged 65 years and over,” said the report.

The health watchdog claims that the increase of cases “has begun earlier than usual”.

According to UKHSA, the total number of cases reported was nearly twice as many as is usually observed at this time of year.

The following are the primary norovirus symptoms:

• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Diarrhoea
• Being sick (vomiting)
• A high temperature
• A headache
• Aching arms and legs
• High temperature

Within one to two days of infection, the symptoms appear out of nowhere.