The latest public health information for CDC recommends the following when it comes to both influenza and COVID-19.
CDC Recommends that patients with Acute COVID-19 or those recovering from COVID-19 are offered an influenza vaccine by the end of October for those 6 months and older. Those with acute COVID-19 should receive an inactivated influenza vaccine. CDC has a recommendation rating scheme on its website.
CDC recommends that clinicians consider deferring influenza vaccines for COVID symptomatic patients until their symptoms are improving and they are no longer considered moderately or severely ill and have completed their isolation period.
The influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine may be administered simultaneously but at different injection sites. Ask your provider about the potential for increased expected adverse reactions when both vaccines are administered simultaneously.
Only testing can distinguish between influenza and COVID-19 and identify a coinfection of both viruses. Even though coinfections of the two have been described in case reports and case series, the coinfection of influenza and COVID-19 are considered uncommon.
If you are experiencing an acute respiratory illness or are hospitalized for an acute respiratory illness, it is recommended that testing for both influenza and COVID-19 be completed. The results will guide the clinical management of your illness.
There has been an emergency use authorization by the FDA for several multiplex molecular and antigen assays that will detect both influenza A and B and the variants of COVID-19 and can provide results in 15 minutes to 8 hours and only require a single respiratory specimen.
Symptoms of influenza and COVID-19 can be similar; however, complications and severe disease typically occur during the first week of illness onset for influenza, whereas the onset of complications and severe disease for COVID-19 usually occurs during the second week of illness.
How to differentiate between the common cold, the flu, and COVID-19:
Common Cold Symptoms: Sore throat, Runny or Stuffy nose, Sneezing, and Cough
Influenza Symptoms: Sore throat, Runny or stuffy nose, Cough, Fever and/or chills, Headache, Muscle pain or body aches, Feeling tired or weak, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Vomiting and diarrhea
COVID-19 Symptoms: Sore throat, Runny or stuffy nose, Cough, Fever and/or chills, Headache, Muscle pain or body aches, Feeling tired or weak, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Vomiting and diarrhea, Change in or loss of taste or smell
If you have any of these symptoms, contact your care provider for the next steps.