>>> WELCOME BACK THIS MORNING ON
YOUR HEALTH AS WE HEAD INTO COLD
AND FLU SEASON, WE’RE STILL IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
SO IF YOU’RE FEELING UNDER THE
WEATHER, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S
CORONAVIRUS, THE COMMON COLD, OR
THE FLU?
NBC’S SENIOR MEDICAL
CORRESPONDENT, DR. JOHN TORRES
IS HERE TO HELP US OUT WITH ALL
OF THIS.
DOCTOR JOHN, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
LET’S START OFF WITH THE FACT
THAT IT’S THREE WEEKS SINCE
LABOR DAY AND WE ARE SEEING SOME
NEW SURGES.
SO HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT
THAT?
>> KRISTEN, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS,
ALMOST HALF THE STATES ARE
SEEING INCREASES.
WE WOULD HOPE WE WOULD BE DOWN
TO AROUND 10,000 CASES A DAY BY
NOW AND WE’RE STARTING TO BUMP
UP TO AROUND 50,000 CASES A DAYS
AND ONCE THE COLD WEATHER HITS,
THE
CORONAVIRUSES WILL COME BACK A
LOT MORE.
>> SO IT WILL START GETTING
COOLER, PEOPLE WILL START HAVING
SOME SNIFFLES, SOME ACHES, START
TO FEAR THEY HAVE CORONAVIRUS.
HOW DO THEY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?
>> PETER, IT CAN BE HARD TO
TELL, AT LEAST INITIALLY,
BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS ARE ALMOST
THE SAME.
YOU START FEELING UNDER THE
WEATHER, A LITTLE LOW-GRADE
FEVER, BUT THEN THEY START
DIFFERENTIATING THEMSELVES.
WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT
CORONAVIRUS, THESE ARE THE
TELLTALE SIGNS.
ONE IS THE LOST OF SENSE, TASTE
OR SMELL, DIFFICULTY BREATHING,
FEVER, THOSE ARE SIGNS YOU WANT
TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IF
YOU’RE HAVING PROBLEMS, CHILLS,
CONGESTION, ABDOMINAL ISSUES
TEND TO BE ONE BIG THINGS WITH
CORONAVIRUS.
WITH THE COLD, ON THE OTHER
HAND, AND WE’VE ALL HAD COLDS
FROM TIME TO TIME, A LOT ARE THE
SNIFFLES, YOU RARELY GET A
FEVER, SNEEZING, STUFFY NOSE,
SORE THREAT AND POST NASAL DRIP.
IF YOU HAVE CHEST PAIN OR
BREATHEING ISSUES, YOU WANT TO G
TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
>> AND THROW THE FLU INTO THIS
MIX.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT’S THE FLU?
>> THAT’S A GREAT POINT.
ESPECIALLY BETWEEN FLU AND
CORONAVIRUS, IT’S GOING TO BE
DIFFICULT TO TELL.
WITH THE FLU, FEVER IS A BIG
INDICATOR, BUT BODY ACHES ARE
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST
DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE FLU
AND CORONAVIRUS, BECAUSE
TYPICALLY YOU DON’T GET THAT BAD
OF BODY ACHES WITH THE
CORONAVIRUS.
THE VOMITING AND DIARRHEA,
ABDOMINAL ISSUES, BUT THE
BIGGEST THING WITH THE FLU ARE
THOSE BODY ACHES, WHEN PEOPLE
TELL ME THEY HAVE THE FLU, THEY
TELL ME THEY CAN’T GET OUT OF
BED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, PETER.
>> WHEN SHOULD FOLKS BE THINKING
ABOUT GETTING THEIR FLU SHOT?
SHOULD THEY BE DOING IT RIGHT
NOW?
>> KRISTEN, NOW IS A GREAT TIME
TO GET THE FLU SHOT, BECAUSE THE
FLU WILL START TO MOVE IN,
USUALLY AROUND THE NOVEMBER TIME
FRAME.
AND YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND
CALL AHEAD.
THIS YEAR, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE
RECORD NUMBERS OF FLU SHOTS.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE,
WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF THE
PANDEMIC, SO IT’S NOT GOING TO
BE LIKE LAST YEAR WHERE YOU CAN
WALK INTO A PHARMACY OR DOCTOR’S
OFFICE AND GET THE FLU SHOT.
CALL AHEAD TO SEE WHAT THEY’RE
DOING.
YOU WANT TO GET IT BEFORE THE
END OCHTOBER.
THINK BEFORE HALLOWEEN.
AND EVERYONE 6 MONTHS OR OLDER
SHOULD GET IT.
IT DOES TAKE TWO WEEKS TO KICK
IN, SO GET IT BEFORE FLU SEASON
GETS HERE, BECAUSE THAT’S ALMOST
TOO LATE AT THAT POINT.
>> AND WE’RE ACTUALLY DOING THAT
WITH OUR DAUGHTERS TODAY AND
THIS IS MY WIFE KILLING ME IF
THEY’RE WATCHING, BECAUSE WE
HAVEN’T TOLD THE GIRLS THIS IS
HAPPENING YET TODAY.
>> OH, THEY’RE CHEERING AS THEY
HEAR THIS.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO GO WELL AT
HOME.
SO IF YOU ARE FEELING SICK, IT
BEARS REPEATING.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
>> SO IF YOU ARE FEELING SICK,
ONE OF THE THINGS TO DO IS LOOK
AT YOUR SYMPTOMS.
IF YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE SOMETHING
YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF HOME,
CERTAINLY TAKE CARE OF IT AT
HOME.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW, IF YOU
HAVEN’T BEEN TESTED AND YOU
DON’T KNOW IF IT’S CORONAVIRUS
OR FLU OR THE COLD, ASSUME IT’S
CORONAVIRUS AT THIS POINT.
BECAUSE WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC.
SO QUARANTINE YOURSELF.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO YOUR DOCTOR’S
OFFICE, CALL AHEAD, BECAUSE YOU
NEED TO FIND OUT HOW THEY’RE
TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS AND
LETTING YOU IN.
AND TRY TO GET TESTED.
RIGHT NOW, THERE’S AN FDA TEST
TO PROVE FOR THE COVID AND FLU,
BUT IT’S A SENDOUT TEST AND
TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO GET
BACK.
WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING AT THAT
TAKES 15 MINUTES THAT CAN DETECT
BOTH OF THEM.
YOU WANT TO CALL AHEAD TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE
ACCOMMODATIONS AND WHAT YOU NEED
TO DO BEFORE YOU GO INTO THE
OFFICE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU’RE
SICK, THINK CORONAVIRUS AT THIS
POINT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE.
SO GO AHEAD AND STAY HOME, AVOID
OTHER PEOPLE, SO YOU’RE NOT