Every fall, my phone starts ringing with the same question: “Is this just a cold, or should I come in?” Flu, strep throat and COVID-19 can look a lot alike in the first day or two. The answer to whether you should come in usually depends on three things: your symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and your own health risks.
How they tend to show up
| Flu | Strep throat | COVID-19 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it starts | Suddenly, often within hours | Fairly quickly | Can be sudden or gradual |
| Common symptoms | Fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, cough | Sore throat, pain swallowing, fever, swollen glands | Fever, cough, congestion, sore throat, fatigue, loss of taste or smell |
| Usually NOT present | Cough and runny nose | ||
| Caused by | Virus | Bacteria | Virus |
These patterns overlap, and plenty of people don’t read the textbook. That’s why testing matters more than guessing.
Why timing matters
- Flu: Antiviral medicine works best when it’s started within about 48 hours of your first symptoms. If you wait to see whether it gets better, you may miss that window.
- COVID-19: Antiviral treatment is meant to start within the first few days of symptoms, and it matters most for people over 65 or with conditions like diabetes, heart disease or lung disease.
- Strep: Strep is bacterial, so it’s treated with antibiotics. Flu and COVID are viral, and antibiotics won’t help them. A quick strep test tells us which one we’re dealing with, so you only take antibiotics when they’ll actually work.
We test for flu, strep and COVID-19 in the office, so you can usually leave with an answer and a plan in one visit.
Come in if you have
- A fever over 100.4°F that lasts more than a day or two
- A sore throat with fever and no cough
- Symptoms that started improving and then got worse again
- Any flu-like illness and you’re over 65, pregnant, or living with diabetes, asthma, heart disease or another chronic condition
- A cough or congestion that hasn’t improved after 10 days
Go to the ER or call 911 if you have
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest pain or pressure
- Confusion, or being hard to wake up
- Bluish lips or face
- Signs of dehydration, such as not urinating for 8 hours or more
Getting seen the same day
We offer same-day sick visits. Call us at (972) 348-0046 as early in the day as you can. Some symptoms can also be handled through a virtual visit, and our team will help you decide which makes sense.
And the best sick visit is the one you never need. If you haven’t had your flu shot yet this season, it’s not too late.
— Laura Cervantes, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
