WAUSHARA, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Along with the coronavirus and the 'worst surge yet', Waushara County Health Officer Patti Wohlfeil will soon have another virus to deal with.
"I did have a few Covid cases that had Covid and influenza at the same time," she said.
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As another season approaches, how can you tell the difference between the flu, Covid-19 and an allergy?
"Testing, diagnostics is really the only way to know the difference," Wohlfeil said. "And you have to decide when it’s appropriate to do that."
According to Wohlfeil, influenza season typically begins in December and peaks around February.
"There are certainly some distinct, mostly only-Covid things like loss of taste and smell," she said.
But nurse practitioner Rachel Chastain says symptoms like coughing and nasal congestion are common in both viral illnesses and allergies.
"For example, allergies wouldn’t be positive of fevers where viruses often are," the Bellin Health specialist said.
The Department of Health Services reports just 100 positive flu cases in the last year. Whether it’s a virus or something else, Chastain says it can be detected.
"We can look at the symptom presentation," she said. "We can look at when the onset of symptoms was as well as the history."
Northeast Wisconsinites might have to battle Covid amid a flu season, but health experts say treatment and prevention can be simple at times.
"Just get your sleep, get your rest," Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Officer Theresa Harmala said. "Be good to yourself in those ways to keep those reserves as much as possible."
