Physician’s tips on identifying flu symptoms amid fourth COVID wave, cold season overlapping

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — With cold season upon us, how do you tell the difference between normal flu symptoms and COVID?

Dr. Matthew Chow is the president of Doctors of B.C., and says there is no easy way to self-diagnose, but there are a few telltale signs that distinguish COVID from the seasonal flu.

He adds, it’s important to do a little research before you pick up the phone and call your general practitioner.

“We don’t want everyone with a sniffle to go to the emergency department, we don’t want everyone with a bit of a sore throat to go to the clinic. In any other year, if we had every single person with school-aged children rushing to the clinic every time they had symptoms, we would overwhelm our system,” he says.

Chow reiterates a checklist by the BC Center for Disease Control that people can look out for. He says if you have a fever, chills, a cough, a loss of sense of taste or smell or difficulty breathing, it means you should get yourself tested for COVID-19.

“We don’t want everyone with a sniffle to go to the emergency department, we don’t want everyone with a bit of a sore throat to go to the clinic. In any other year, if we had every single person with school-aged children rushing to the clinic every time that his symptoms we would overwhelm our system.”

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If you have one of these systems: sore throat, loss of appetite, headache, body aches, extreme fatigue or tiredness, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, you can just stay home until you feel better.

“On the other hand, if you have about two of those things … stay home and wait 24 hours to see if you feel better and then if you get if you feel better, that’s great then you’re good to go. On the other hand, it says if you stay home and wait 24 hours and you’re not getting better, then you should go get tested for COVID-19.”

As the weather cools and we are forced to stay indoors more, Chow says he understands people will be more concerned.

But when in doubt, call 811 the provincial health information and advice line.

– With files from Peter Wagner