Some respiratory illnesses lingering longer
MIAMI - It's flu season, COVID-19 numbers are up, and RSV is spreading. If you haven't been sick lately consider yourself lucky and if you have been, you might feel like its lasted longer than it has in the past.
"I've never been this sick. Ever," said Allison Twist, an avid Peleton rider who takes a class on her bike every day.
She hadn't missed a day in four years until she got home from a New Year cruise.
"We came home. I had a little cough, not a big deal. I didn't think it was such a big deal and overnight it just got worse. I couldn't stop coughing. So I went to urgent care," she said. "It started with a cough, and then I was coughing so hard that my back started hurting me so badly. And I explained to the doctor that my back was really hurting and I'm not sure why."
They tested her for COVID and the flu and both tests came back negative.
Twist finally got a chest X-ray and what started as a little cough turned into walking pneumonia.
"I came home and I was just out of it. I felt like I got hit by a truck. They told me that this is a strain that they don't have a name for," said Twist.
CBS News Miami's Teri Hornstein turned to a doctor for answers on why it feels like so many of us are getting sick and staying sick right now.
"We are seeing some of the respiratory illnesses that we aren't finding an answer to," said Dr. Sarah LaRosa, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at HCA Florida University Hospital in Davie.
Dr. LaRosa says Twist is far from alone. It's not just COVID and the flu spreading right now but other sicknesses they don't routinely test for and some of them can linger.
"Some of these upper respiratory infections we know they can last for weeks and unfortunately, the cough can linger up to six weeks and that's still in the realm of normal for some of these illnesses," said Dr. LaRosa.
When you finally start to feel better Dr. LaRosa said your immune system could still be down. If you head out too early and are around a lot of people, you can get sick all over again.
"We have patients that tell us I just had COVID a few weeks ago and now they have the flu. Everybody wants to get back to their life. Everybody wants to be fixed right away, but for some of these illnesses, it's just not a quick fix," said Dr. LaRosa.
The doctor said it's best to stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids, and treat the symptoms until you're feeling 100 percent.
"They will recover, it just takes time. Unless they have some sort of underlying condition. For most of these illnesses, antibiotics are not indicated. They will not make it go away. Other medications, that just help with the symptoms are really the most important thing," said Dr. LaRosa.
For Twist, she is back on the bike but still not feeling herself.
"I'm starting to work out again I'm starting to feel stronger again, but I think that this viral sickness that's going through everybody it's not like COVID. It's worse. It's worse than COVID. It can hit anybody," she said.
Dr. LaRosa said there are some ways to protect yourself. Outdoor activities are better for big groups so germs aren't moving in a small space. She also suggests wearing a mask while you travel, if you choose to.
Of course, washing your hands is also always a good idea.
