Don’t be fooled, illness going around Northeast Ohio is not COVID

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -Doctors with University Hospitals are seeing cases of an illness that looks an awful lot like COVID.

Human Parainfluenza (HPIV) is circulating and has many of the same symptoms as influenza which we see in the fall and winter, and COVID.

HPIV can cause upper and lower respiratory illnesses in infants, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, but anyone can get infected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signs and symptoms are similar to the common cold and can include:

• fever
• runny nose
• cough
• sneezing
• sore throat

Other symptoms of HPIV illness may include:

• ear pain
• irritability
• decreased appetite

According to Dr. Robert Salata with University Hospitals Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine and Global Health, there is no treatment for parainfluenza like there is for influenza.

Salta says unfortunately the symptoms have to run their course and could last 7-10 days.

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