COVID-19 vs. the Cold vs. the Flu: How to Tell the Difference

How do you know if you have COVID-19? The challenging thing is, it’s a respiratory illness, and it shares a lot of symptoms with other respiratory illnesses—namely, the common cold and the seasonal flu. While there is a lot of overlap among the three infections, there are a few differences.

The primary symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. These are the key symptoms that the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been reporting.

However, more detailed reports share that some patients have also experienced sore throats and headaches. Runny nose is not a common COVID-19 symptom.

The seasonal flu can also cause fever and cough. However, it also tends to come with body and muscle aches, chills, fatigue, and headaches. Sometimes, it causes congestion and sore throat. Symptoms tend to start abruptly. Learn more about symptoms of the seasonal flu here.

The common cold rarely causes fever and headaches, and almost never causes shortness of breath. It does often cause a cough, but it’s typically a mild cough, especially compared to a cough caused by COVID-19. Symptoms tend to be mild and come on gradually.

More commonly, the cold just sticks to the nose, causing congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. If you have a bad fever and a serious cough, it's unlikely that it's the common cold. Learn more about symptoms of the common cold here.

If you have respiratory symptoms, it can be really hard to tell what’s causing it, so play it safe. If you live or have visited somewhere where COVID-19 is actively spreading, and you develop respiratory symptoms, call your healthcare provider ASAP—do NOT go to urgent care or the emergency room. It’s important to call ahead first to avoid contracting or spreading COVID-19.

All rights reserved.