{"id":39967,"date":"2021-09-01T09:30:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T13:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=39967"},"modified":"2021-08-27T10:25:09","modified_gmt":"2021-08-27T14:25:09","slug":"tiktok-mystery-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/tiktok-mystery-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"Was a mystery illness discovered on TikTok\u2014or is it the common cold?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#coldvscovid\">Cold vs. COVID<\/a> | <a href=\"#allergiesvscovid\">Allergies vs. COVID<\/a> | <a href=\"#covidtest\">Get a COVID test<\/a> | <a href=\"#tiktok\">A note on TikTok trends<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A number of TikTok users were fretting about having symptoms like a sore throat, a runny nose, sneezing, and coughing earlier this summer. And they weren\u2019t sure what to make of those symptoms. What was this strange \u201cmystery illness\u201d that had afflicted them?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Posts about the mystery illness racked up millions of views. But it turned out that most of them weren\u2019t actually suffering from some bizarre new ailment. Many of them just had\u2026a cold. But after months of social distancing and masking, a lot of people had forgotten what it felt like to have a cold or other run-of-the-mill respiratory virus.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A year and a half into the pandemic, are you out of practice when it comes to recognizing the impending signs of a cold, too?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"coldvscovid\">Could it be a cold\u2026or is it COVID-19?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re feeling a little under the weather, but you\u2019re not sure what\u2019s come over you. But 18+ months into the coronavirus pandemic, your first thought might be: \u201cI hope I don\u2019t have COVID-19.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is absolutely possible to confuse symptoms [of COVID] with other respiratory infections or even with seasonal allergies,\u201d says Gwen Murphy, Ph.D., MPH, director of epidemiology for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.letsgetchecked.com\/articles\/author\/gwen-murphy-phd-mph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lets Get Checked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these are the most<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/antibiotic-use\/colds.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">common symptoms of a cold<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sneezing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stuffy nose<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Runny nose<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coughing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sore throat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watery eyes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post-nasal drip<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s also possible to have a fever with a cold, but it\u2019s not common. In most cases, when you have a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/how-long-does-a-cold-last\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cold<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, your symptoms will hit their peak within a few days, then start to gradually wind down over the course of about two weeks. It\u2019s possible to catch this virus\u2014even during the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/summer-cold\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">summer months<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/coronavirus-symptoms-vs-cold-and-flu\/\"><b>Coronavirus vs. the flu vs. a cold<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"allergiesvscovid\">Do I have allergies or COVID?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seasonal allergies tend to also cause a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and fatigue, according to the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/acaai.org\/allergies\/types\/hay-fever-rhinitis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American College of Allergy, Asthma &amp; Immunology<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yes, the early symptoms of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/symptoms-testing\/symptoms.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COVID-19<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aren\u2019t too different, since they often include fatigue, a cough, a sore throat, and a runny nose. If you are fortunate enough to get only a mild case of COVID, you might easily confuse the symptoms with that of a cold or allergies (if you\u2019re prone to hay fever or seasonal allergies).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But COVID-19 can go beyond those symptoms, too. A fever (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100.4\u00b0 F or greater)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a common element of COVID-19 for many people. According to the Mayo Clinic, you might also experience<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/coronavirus\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20479963\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">symptoms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of taste or smell<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shortness of breath<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Headache<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Muscle aches<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nausea and vomiting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diarrhea<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chest pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extreme fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not everyone develops the same symptoms, though. Some may be mild, and some may be more serious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAt the end of the day, it can be hard to tell,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/21860614-syed-shahzad-mustafa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shahzad Mustafa, MD<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, lead physician for Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology for Rochester Regional Health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/coronavirus-symptoms-vs-allergy-symptoms\/\"><b>Allergies vs. COVID symptoms<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"covidtest\">Get tested for COVID<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not unexpected for more colds and other illnesses to begin popping up after people began shedding their masks and interacting more closely with other people, says acute care nurse practitioner<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aanp.org\/about\/about-the-american-association-of-nurse-practitioners-aanp\/aanp-leadership\/board-of-directors\/aanp-president\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">April Kapu<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, DNP, APRN, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not that your immune system got weaker\u2014it\u2019s that you were taking steps to protect yourself, and they worked, notes Murphy. Once people unmasked and stopped strict social distancing, there occurred unseasonal surges of common respiratory illnesses.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what do you do if you start developing some symptoms and you\u2019re just not sure? Experts recommend getting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/symptoms-testing\/testing.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tested for COVID-19<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Because some of the symptoms do overlap, it\u2019s better to find out for sure. If you do have COVID, you could spread the disease to others. That\u2019s true even if you\u2019ve been vaccinated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is best to test for coronavirus as soon as possible after you develop symptoms and to self-isolate while you await your test results,\u201d Murphy says. However, you\u2019re less likely to get COVID-19 if you\u2019re fully<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/how-to-get-a-covid-vaccine\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vaccinated,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is why experts are urging everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI strongly strongly strongly encourage<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vaccination<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d Dr. Mustafa says. \u201cI understand concerns. I understand potential<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/coronavirus-vaccine-what-to-expect\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">side effects<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but at the end of the day, the pros far outweigh the risks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kapu agrees. \u201cAnyone 12 and above, we would urge them to get vaccinated,\u201d she says, noting that the vast majority of people who are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. \u201cThe goal is to lower your risk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s especially important now that the Delta variant is the dominant strain of COVID-19, which is more contagious than earlier strains. The Delta variant was responsible for about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">83%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the cases circulating in the U.S. by the end of July, according to the CDC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"tiktok\">What else should you do?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t forget about the other key steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting sick with the next bug that comes along.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe pandemic has taught us a lot about the power of very simple measures that we can control ourselves: handwashing, wearing a mask in crowded spaces, and social distancing,\u201d says Murphy. \u201cThese measures serve us well in protecting us from many infectious diseases while we gradually emerge from lockdown measures.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One final note: If you\u2019re intrigued by something on TikTok or another social media platform and you have questions, bring them to your healthcare provider before you try to diagnose yourself. Dr. Mustafa says he\u2019s happy to answer questions and talk to patients about things they\u2019ve read on the Internet. \u201cI certainly don\u2019t dismiss these things,\u201d he says. \u201cWe may as well have an open conversation about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cold vs. COVID | Allergies vs. COVID | Get a COVID test | A note on TikTok trends A number of TikTok users were fretting about having symptoms like a sore throat, a runny nose, sneezing, and coughing earlier this summer. And they weren\u2019t sure what to make of those symptoms. What was this strange [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":39589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[11169],"coauthors":[9482],"class_list":["post-39967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-cold-flu","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Was the mystery illness on TikTok just the common cold?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A mystery illness circulated TikTok but its symptoms are similar to what you&#039;d expect from a cold or allergies. 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