How to Tell the Difference Between Cold, Flu, and COVID-19
If you’re sneezing, coughing, feverish, or feeling achy, it can be hard to know the cause. This guide can help you assess your symptoms so you can start feeling better.
By Paula Preston-Dougherty, APN, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Virtua Primary Care
Whether you’re sneezing, coughing, or feeling achy, it can be challenging to know what’s causing your symptoms. This might leave you wondering: is it simply an annoying cold or allergies, or could it be something more serious?
COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold are all contagious respiratory viruses that produce similar symptoms. You may need a test to confirm a diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know so you can get the proper treatment and get back to feeling your best.
Common cold symptoms
Compared to the flu and COVID-19, the common cold typically doesn’t cause a fever and has milder symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, coughing, slight body aches, and headaches.
Onset, duration, and treatment of common colds
- Onset: Symptoms tend to develop slowly.
- Duration: About seven to 10 days.
- Treatment and care tips: Stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. Taking over-the-counter (OTC) medication can help manage your symptoms as well.
Flu symptoms
With similar symptoms ranging from mild to severe, it’s easy to mistake the flu for COVID-19. One telltale sign of the flu is that it tends to come on more quickly than COVID-19. Of course, the best way to avoid coming down with the flu is by getting vaccinated each year.
Symptoms of the flu include coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, muscle or body aches, fatigue, fever or chills, vomiting, and diarrhea (more common in children).
Onset, duration, and treatment of the flu
- Onset: Symptoms develop abruptly, typically one to four days after infection.
- Duration: Less than two weeks.
- Treatment and care tips: Stay at home, rest in bed, drink a lot of fluids, and avoid interacting with other people. If you're very sick or have a high risk for flu complications, your health care provider may prescribe an antiviral medication to help ease your symptoms.
COVID-19 symptoms
Colds, flu, and COVID-19 share many common symptoms, including sore throat, runny nose, and headache. While many cases of COVID-19 are mild and don’t require special treatment, it can cause more serious illness in people who are older or have chronic conditions.
COVID-19 symptoms include fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, a new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Onset, duration, and treatment of COVID-19
- Onset: Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
- Duration: A few weeks, though for some, symptoms may persist longer.
- Treatment and care tips: If you think you were exposed to COVID-19, contact your health care provider immediately to ask whether you should be tested. If you have mild symptoms, try to stay home in a room or area away from other people. Rest, drink a lot of fluids, and try OTC medicines like acetaminophen to help relieve your symptoms. If you have trouble breathing or have chest pain, seek emergency care.
The best way to prevent getting a cold, flu, or COVID-19 is to take precautions: wash your hands frequently, wear a mask in public—especially if you don't feel well, and sanitize frequently touched surfaces. If you feel like you’re coming down with something, note your symptoms and contact your health care provider.
Get the care you need, when and where you need it
If you feel under the weather but don't want to leave home, use your computer, tablet, or smartphone to start a Virtua Urgent Care telehealth visit. We deliver your care remotely and, if necessary, guide you through the next steps for in-person treatment.
There's So Much More to Explore
