BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WBMA) — The CDC says the country is in for another rough season of respiratory disease.
Health experts say COVID will be the worst perpetrator followed by the flu and RSV.
The three viruses: flu, RSV and COVID present many of the same symptoms and depending on the person, the symptoms vary.
Doctors say the best way to determine what you have, is to get tested.
At American Family Care doctors call it a triple threat.
"It's looking like the season will be similar to 2022 but there's lots of things that can come into play in 2023 like a new variant of COVID could pop up or we could have all viruses peak at the same time or a new flu virus variant could pop up as well," AFC'S Chief Medical Officer Dr. Louanne Giangreco said.
SEE ALSO: Are your pets making you sick?
SEE ALSO: Depression therapy providing hope without side effects of medication
Giangreco says for most, it's hard to know what you have based on symptoms alone.
"I think it depends and I think sometimes it can be challenging because the symptoms of a number of viruses including COVID, and influenza and RSV can be similar with fever, runny nose, cough congestion some illnesses get more severe difficulty breathing some sore throats too," she said.
She says that's why they do tests.
All throughout the year they're testing swabs because symptoms can show up differently in each person.
"We had asymptotic individuals who were positive for COVID," she said, "people with just a little bit of runny nose too. and then people who had more severe symptoms and are incubated in ICU."
To protect yourself Dr. Giangreco says to get vaccinated and take care of yourself.
"Making sure that you're eating well. You're getting good rest, that you're staying active and moving and that you're managing stress are all really important in staying healthy during this time of year," she said.
As many prepare to gather with family and friends for the holidays, doctors say try to do things outdoors where there's better ventilation.
