Vaccine, Treatment and Testing Options for COVID-19, Flu and RSV (2024)

FAQs

Is there a test for RSV flu and Covid? ›

A PCR multiplex test will empower your provider to detect and differentiate between COVID-19, Flu A, Flu B, and RSV with a single nasal swab.

Medicines to treat COVID-19

Your healthcare professional may suggest certain medicines if you test positive for COVID-19 and are at high risk of serious illness. These medicines keep mild illness from getting worse. They can include nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid), remdesivir (Veklury) or molnupiravir (Lagevrio).

Veklury fights the coronavirus and can help you recover.

Veklury is a COVID-19 treatment given intravenously (by IV or drip). Like oral antivirals, Veklury helps stop the virus that causes COVID-19 from making copies of itself in your body.

A small percentage of patients who are so sick that they need to be hospitalized for flu, COVID-19 or RSV – less than 5% – are testing positive for two infections at the same time, Barron said. If you, your friends or your family members are sick right now, you're not alone.

RSV is a disease that impacts millions of children each year. Supportive care including nutrition, hydration, clearing of nasal secretions, and oxygen, if needed, remains the mainstay therapy for patients.

Both rRT-PCR and antigen detection tests are effective methods for diagnosing RSV infection in infants and young children. The sensitivity of RSV antigen detection tests generally ranges from 80% to 90% in this age group.

have ever had an allergic reaction to Paxlovid, or any other medicine. have problems with your kidneys. have problems with your liver. are intolerant to lactose or galactose – nirmatrelvir contains a lot of lactose.

Paxlovid(Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) is recommended for adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg (88 lb) with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.

The most common side effects of taking Paxlovid include impaired sense of taste (for example, a metallic taste in the mouth) and diarrhea, according to the FDA. Most people who take Paxlovid should not experience serious side effects, explains Dr. Roberts.

Patients must be prescribed Paxlovid from a Walgreens pharmacist or healthcare provider following a positive COVID-19 viral test and completion of Assessment.

Is Paxlovid still recommended? ›

The EUA for Paxlovid continues to authorize Paxlovid for the treatment of pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. The clinical development of Paxlovid for pediatric use is ongoing.

Testing can also reveal if someone has both flu and COVID-19 at the same time, although this is uncommon. People with flu and COVID-19 at the same time can have more severe disease than people with either flu or COVID-19 alone.

Since the symptoms are so similar, the best way to accurately determine whether you have COVID-19 or the flu is to get tested. The COVID-19, Flu, RSV combined test is an option if you would like to determine what type of infection you have.

When the flu, COVID-19 and RSV are all circulating at the same time, experts warn of a “tripledemic.” Patients can test positive for two or even all three of these viruses at once. “Having one of these illnesses doesn't protect you from the others,” said Goldzweig.

To get things started, you have multiple options when it comes to getting you and your family tested: Get a COVID-19/RSV/Flu combo test kit online from Labcorp OnDemand. Or, get a drive-thru PCR test at a CVS or a Walgreens near you.

How long people with RSV are contagious. People with RSV are usually contagious for three to eight days. They can be contagious a day or two before they show symptoms. Babies and people with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised) who get the virus can spread it for up to a month.

In the present prospective study, the observation could be confirmed that some patients show positive laboratory results for RSV over a period of up to 10 weeks. This affects patient management, number of hospital days, and costs, all of which can be positively influenced by reasonably applied laboratory methods.