Getting sick can happen at any point, which can be really frustrating if you have a big event coming up or a particularly busy week to get through. It can be easy to just pop in a throat lozenge when you have a sore throat, but that may not fix it for good.

Temporary relief of a sore throat may help at the moment, but getting a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for your illness can help you avoid a more serious infection as COVID-19, the flu and strep throat cases are rising all around us.

Our AFC Urgent Care Tyvola Road team explains some of the differences and similarities between COVID-19, the flu and strep throat below.

Do COVID-19, Strep Throat and the Flu Spread the Same Way?

Infections are incredibly contagious and spread through populations quickly when everyone is closer together in proximity. That’s why the fall and winter seasons are more likely to experience high caseloads and outbreaks! We can get sick any time we come into contact with an infected person or by touching an infected surface and then touching your nose, mouth or eyes.

All three illnesses are considered infections, but they are not caused by the same things. Strep throat is caused by a bacteria while COVID-19 and the flu are both viral in nature. Symptoms may start out the same, so a fever, sore throat, headache or body aches are not reliable symptoms that you can diagnose yourself from. Come see us for a rapid test instead!

Rapid Tests We Perform at AFC Urgent Care Tyvola Road

• COVID-19
• Influenza
• Strep Throat

Can You Quickly Treat COVID-19?

Treatment for each illness is different as well, and the recovery timeline is different for everyone. If your rapid test comes back positive for strep throat, a quick round of antibiotics can help you feel better in just a few days.

COVID-19 and the flu aren’t as simple. Since they are viral infections, they cannot be treated by antibiotics and just need to run their course. There are some antiviral drug options that can help control your symptom severity, but they need to be taken at your symptom onset to be the most effective. Come see us for quick care and a treatment plan today!

Symptoms Shared by COVID-19, the Flu and Other Infections

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose
• Fever

Need help determining what is making you sick? Stop by AFC Urgent Care Tyvola Road for a rapid test.