As the days go on, they are getting colder and colder. People get sick from a variety of different sources during this time of year, from allergies to the common cold or the flu. This year, COVID is added to the mix. It is easy to assume that symptoms of a common cold can be close to those of COVID. It is important to diagnose what is affecting people, not only to prevent the spread of COVID but to help treat the person who is sick. Just because someone is sick, doesn’t mean they have the virus. Allergies are very common around this time of year. A runny nose and cough are common among all of these illnesses. How are people able to differentiate between them? There are very specific separations between them, it is up to the one affected to determine how seriously it should be taken. Testing couldn’t hurt, as well as online doctor appointments where nobody has to come in contact with one another. Testing usually is a drawn-out process, although most would consider it to be worth it. Flu cases this year are shown to have dramatically decreased, yet COVID cases are on the rise. It is hard to access reliable information from media sources. COVID has been shown to be extremely similar to the flu, but it is more serious for certain groups. Some say that it is no different, while others say it couldn’t be more different. Either way, it is important to address what is affecting someone, and how to properly treat it.