Respiratory Illnesses

COVID-19 can cause mild cold-like symptoms to severe lung infections. Anti viral treatment is available for those at higher risk of severe disease and complications. Vaccines for COVID-19 are available.

Learn more about COVID-19 symptoms, vaccination, and treatment.   

Helpful resources:

Seasonal influenza, or ‘the flu’, is a common illness that spreads easily. It affects your nose, throat, and lungs and you can have systemic symptoms such as fever and muscle aches. You can catch the flu from tiny droplets when someone with the flu coughs or sneezes. You can also get it by touching surfaces with flu virus droplets and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Learn more about flu symptoms, vaccination, and treatment.    

Helpful resources:

• Respiratory and Enteric Surveillance Dashboard
• Respiratory infectious diseases: How to reduce the spread with personal protective measures

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs resulting in cold-like symptoms. It usually starts spreading in the fall and peaks in the winter months. RSV infection can happen at any age but is particularly severe in infants and older adults, and can cause significant lung infections requiring hospitalization especially in those with underlying health conditions such as asthma, chronic heart or lung disease, and those with weakened immune systems.

• Ontario RSV page
• CHEO Bronchiolitis  
• Caring for Kids RSV  
• Respiratory infectious diseases: How to reduce the spread with personal protective measures

The ‘common cold’ is caused by viruses (germs) that infect the nose, throat and sinuses causing upper respiratory tract infections. Colds are most common in the fall and winter when people are indoors and in close contact with each other. They're so common in fact that it's normal for children under five years old to have as many as 12 upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in one year. Upper respiratory tract infections, like colds, cause symptoms in the nose, throat and sinuses. There is no vaccination available for the common cold. See this helpful video on ways to beat the common cold at home. You can also find more information on CHEO’s webpage.  

Helpful resources:

• CHEO “Cough and Colds” 
• Canadian Pharmacists Association “Fever and pain medication” 
• Caring for Kids “Colds in children”  
• Sick Kids- AboutKidsHealth 
• Respiratory infectious diseases: How to reduce the spread with personal protective measures

If you or your child are in distress (significant trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, difficulty to rouse, confusion or have significant worsening of any chronic symptoms), go to the nearest Emergency Department or call 9-1-1.

• If your infant is younger than three months old and has a fever
• Very sleepy or difficult to wake
• Respiratory distress (working hard to breathe) pale skin or blue lips, asthma not responding to usual puffers
• Repeated vomiting and unable to keep any liquids down for eight hours or more
• Vomiting or diarrhea containing a large amount of blood
• Signs of dehydration with dry mouth or no urination for eight hours or more

See this helpful factsheet from CHEO.

Common symptoms of respiratory illnesses

• Fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, muscle aches, fatigue, vomiting/diarrhea, abdominal pain.

What to do if you have symptoms

• Stay home until you are fever-free (without using fever-reducing medication AND your symptoms have been improving for 24 hours (48 hours for vomiting/diarrhea).
• If you can’t stay home: wear a well-fitting mask and avoid non-essential mask-less activities for 10 days from when symptoms started.
• Don’t visit those at high-risk of severe illness including those in long-term care, retirement homes or in hospital.

• Keep your vaccinations up to date including getting your updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
• Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• Disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home and workplace.
• Wear a mask:
  • To protect yourself from viral respiratory illnesses.
  • To protect others at higher risk of severe respiratory illness.
  • When you’re recovering from illness.

How to Protect Yourself and Others from Respiratory Viruses (Public Health Ontario)

Most respiratory illnesses can be treated at home.

Treatment for COVID-19 is available for those at higher risk of severe illness and must be taken within a few days of symptoms starting.

Antiviral medications for influenza are available for those at higher risk of complication or those who are very sick with sever symptoms. These medications need to be prescribed by a health care provider.