{"id":9585,"date":"2020-03-12T13:13:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T17:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=9585"},"modified":"2024-05-22T13:32:57","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T17:32:57","slug":"coronavirus-symptoms-vs-cold-and-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/coronavirus-symptoms-vs-cold-and-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold vs. flu vs. COVID: What do I have?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the <\/span><\/i>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

COVID vs. flu vs. cold chart<\/a> | Causes<\/a> | Symptoms<\/a> | Severity<\/a> | Treatment<\/a> | Transmission<\/a> | Prevention<\/a>
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You\u2019ve just coughed or sneezed. Now what? When they share similar symptoms, how can you tell if you have a cold, flu, or COVID? Learn the differences between the different viruses, and how to prevent these viral infections.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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COVID vs. flu vs. cold<\/h2>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

<\/td>\nCOVID-19<\/b><\/td>\nFlu<\/b><\/td>\nCold<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virus<\/b><\/td>\nCoronavirus<\/span><\/td>\nInfluenza<\/span><\/td>\nUsually rhinovirus<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shared symptoms between 2+ virus<\/b><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Cough<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sore throat\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Runny nose or congestion<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fever or chills<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Muscle or body aches\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Headache\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • Cough<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sore throat<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Runny or stuffy nose<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sneezing<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fever or chills<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Muscle or body aches<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Headache<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • Cough<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sore throat<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Runny or stuffy nose<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sneezing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Suggestive symptoms<\/b><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Loss of taste or smell<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Nausea or vomiting<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Diarrhea<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • Occasionally vomiting and diarrhea (especially in children)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • Generally feeling unwell<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Severity<\/b><\/td>\nMild to severe<\/span><\/td>\nMild to severe<\/span><\/td>\nMild to rarely severe<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Treatment<\/b><\/td>\nSymptom relief medication, treatment of secondary illnesses<\/span><\/p>\n

Antivirals (<\/span>Paxlovid<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Lagevrio<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Veklury<\/span><\/a>) for high-risk groups given up to 5-7 days after symptoms begin<\/span><\/p>\n

Immune modulators for qualifying hospitalized individuals<\/span><\/td>\n

Antiviral (<\/span>Tamiflu<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Xofluza<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Relenza<\/span><\/a>) given within first 24-48 hours, symptom relief medication, treatment of secondary illnesses<\/span><\/td>\nSymptom relief medication<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
At risk groups<\/b><\/td>\nOlder people, people who are immunocompromised, people with chronic health conditions<\/span><\/td>\nYoung children, adults over 65, pregnant people, people who are immunocompromised, people with chronic health conditions<\/span><\/td>\nYoung children, adults over 65, pregnant people, people who are immunocompromised, people with chronic health conditions<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How it is spread<\/b><\/td>\nClose contact with infected individuals, touching contaminated surface<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What causes colds, the flu, and COVID-19?<\/h2>\n

\u201cAll three are caused by viruses,\u201d says <\/span>Georgine Nanos, MD<\/span><\/a>, an expert in epidemiology and the CEO of <\/span>Kind Health Group<\/span><\/a> in Encinitas, California. \u201cThe common cold is usually caused by a virus called rhinovirus. COVID-19 is caused by coronavirus. The flu is caused by the influenza virus.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Within those types of viruses, there are variations. Influenza virus falls into two main categories labeled A and B. (There is also influenza C and D, but C is mild and not common and D is not known to occur in humans.) While COVID-19 is called \u201ccoronavirus\u201d colloquially, it is really just one type of coronavirus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCoronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV),\u201d says <\/span>Andrea Limpuangthip, MD<\/span><\/a>, the medical director of quality of patient safety at Baltimore\u2019s <\/span>Mercy Medical Center<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0COVID-19 is labeled SARS-CoV-2.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are cold vs. flu vs. COVID symptoms?<\/h2>\n

Common symptoms of a cold are usually mild and include a runny or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and generally feeling unwell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The flu has the same symptoms as a cold, but infected individuals may also have a fever or chills, muscle or body aches, headaches, tiredness, and occasionally vomiting and diarrhea (especially in children).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms of COVID-19<\/span><\/a> can include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCommon colds usually show upper respiratory symptoms; <\/span>influenza and COVID-19<\/span><\/a> show both upper and lower respiratory issues with systemic involvement,\u201d says <\/span>Hamid S. Syed, MD<\/span><\/a>, an acute care and primary care physician at Reagan Medical Center in Atlanta.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is COVID worse than the flu or cold?<\/h2>\n

A cold is rarely serious and very unlikely to be fatal. Severity can depend on the <\/span>particular virus<\/span><\/a> causing the cold and the individual who is infected. Even a cold can become severe in certain individuals, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants being a good example of that potential. The flu and COVID-19 affect people with varying degrees of severity. For some, the symptoms are mild and there are no complications. For others, particularly those in high-risk categories, these viruses can cause <\/span>serious complications<\/span><\/a> and even death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those at a higher risk for severe symptoms or complications <\/span>from the flu<\/span><\/a>, and to a lesser extent <\/span>colds<\/span><\/a>, are:<\/span><\/p>\n