With respiratory virus season in full swing here’s what you need to know

(Special to The Dallas Examiner) – While temperatures are fluctuating from cold to warm and back to cold, the likelihood of catching a respiratory virus this time of year remains steady. Whether it is a common cold, the latest COVID variant – JN.1, respiratory syncytial virus – known as RSV or the flu, there’s plenty of bugs going around. However, there are steps you can take to keep you and your family healthy this winter. While these illnesses have a few things in common – all are contagious respiratory viruses and have similar symptoms, which can make it difficult to know exactly what’s making a person sick – symptoms of RSV and the common cold tend to appear more gradually, while flu symptoms show up abruptly. Common symptoms they share are fatigue, cough, stuffy nose and a sore throat. As for the latest COVID variant, symptoms are like that of a cold, but can also include headache and diarrhea. Related Stories “With both cold and flu symptoms, you’re likely to feel fatigued, have a runny nose and experience a cough,” said Cristina Tamez, MD, a pediatrician at Parkland Health. “Though, with the flu those symptoms will appear rather quickly, and...