The delta COVID-19 variant continues to spread across the country and makes up over 83% of all current cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It differs from “classic” COVID-19 in that it does not seem to come with any loss of taste or smell.

However, it may be hard to differentiate from other illnesses because symptoms are similar to cold and flu symptoms, such as a runny nose and sore throat.

Additionally, symptoms may overlap with a respiratory virus known as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which has been increasing in prevalence. These illnesses could make the cold and flu season a difficult one to navigate this fall.

“Clinicians are going to have to think through that,” explains Dr. David Priest, an infectious disease specialist with Novant Health. “They’re going to have to have the testing. They need to distinguish these viruses and make sure it’s not COVID because it’s going to get confusing with a lot of things circulating in the community,” he shares.

Vaccination is one way to avoid flu and COVID-19 strains. According to Dr. Priest, if people wait to get vaccinated at a later time, then the virus has greater opportunity to mutate again, and so areas with lower vaccination rates could see a rise in hospitalizations.

All three COVID-19 vaccines are said to protect people from the delta variant, but some breakthrough cases are possible. Nevertheless, vaccination lowers the chances of getting the virus more so in those who only got one dose of the vaccine or those who are unvaccinated.

If symptoms are to occur (and even if it feels like a mild cold), it’s important to get tested for COVID-19 to rule out cold and flu. And if it is the coronavirus, quarantining is a priority.

The rise of delta cases in the United States has been met with a decline in the demand of COVID-19 vaccination in Americans. Over the course of a month, cases have risen from 3% to 30%.

Dr. Priest expects that we may have to put out many fires through the summer and into the fall. But “the hope is that people in those communities will get vaccinated…so, the fires will just be smoldering embers instead of wildfires, but that might be what we’ll be dealing with for a number of months.”

*Leshner, C. (2021, July 6). Symptoms for the delta variant are different from “classic” COVID-19 symptoms. Here’s what you need to know. WCNC. https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/delta-variant-symptoms-similar-common-cold-flu/275-3d09fdb9-d3a8-427c-a7b6-baa59d27b628

Much about the novel coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but there may occasionally be some lag between scientific developments and our revisions.