Stuck at home sick? It’s probably not the flu, according to Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at UChicago Medicine, but it could be another fast-spreading virus.
But what is this virus?
“You probably have rhino enterovirus, and probably not the flu. There’s a pretty nasty wave of rhino enterovirus going on right now,” said Landon, executive medical director of infection prevention and control at UChicago.
Flu season actually started earlier than usual this year, federal experts say, and the numbers are higher than is typical for the month of October. However, data indicates that cases are still considered low.
According to experts, rhinovirus and enterovirus belong to the same family of viruses, which is why they are often tested together in the laboratory. They are the main cause of the common cold, but their initial symptoms can be very similar to the flu, which can lead patients to think they have the flu.
“When you first get sick, it can be very hard to tell. Some people will have more severe illness from rhinoenterovirus and may have a fever and cough, but most people will instead have a runny nose and just feel a little tired and maybe that cold feeling. Whereas the flu tends to cause more cough and more severe illness with more fever,” she said.
Flu season typically peaks in January in Chicago, experts say, and while Landon said no two flu seasons are exactly the same, it’s too early to consider the flu the primary health threat.
“Maybe it will be earlier than usual this year, but we’re definitely not there yet as far as the flu goes,” Landon said.
Northwestern Medicine says flu and COVID cases are “slightly higher than usual” for this time of year. Rush University Medical Center said there was not a single increase in illness, but confirmed the flu season started early.
Landon says there are “decreasing cases following a COVID surge in late summer,” but the numbers are decreasing right now.
When it comes to preventive measures such as vaccination, the flu vaccine takes about two weeks to take full effect, and doctors urge people not to delay getting the vaccine.
“We don’t even start checking whether or not the flu strains match the flu vaccine until late October, early November,” Landon said.
“We know that what we are seeing now are almost exclusively cases of H1N1 influenza,” she continued. “The H1N1 flu is often milder and less dangerous than the H3N2 flu.”
Landon says it doesn’t matter if the vaccine is a perfect match, the vaccine is the best way to protect against serious illness.
“I would say it’s even more important because when the flu vaccine is less effective, then more people need to get it for it to have an effect. And you’ll be more exposed in years when it’s not suitable. And so you want that protection against serious illness even more,” she said.
Gn Health
