Covid, flu and cold - key differences in symptoms explained
Winter coughs, runny noses and sore throats are doing the rounds this season, ripping through classrooms and workplaces but it can be difficult to know if you have cold, the flu or coronavirus.
Each of the big three are caused by different viruses, but can have similar symptoms. Covid is a respiratory illness caused by the strain of coronavirus that first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Flu - or influenza - is also a respiratory illness that affects your lung. Like Covid, flu can be dangerous, which is why those with underlying medical conditions like heart disease or diabetes are offered a flu jab at this time of year.
Colds are caused by many different viruses, but most commonly a rhinovirus or a coronavirus (not the same type of coronavirus that causes Covid-19). A cold only affects your upper respiratory tract (your nose and throat), not your lungs. They usually aren't serious, but some symptoms overlap with the other two more serious conditions.
Several symptoms of cold, flu and Covid-19 overlap - especially sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache and body aches. But the loss or change to your sense of taste and smell usually means you have covid.
Infectious disease expert and professor of medicine, Albert Shaw, said: "Especially if you don't really have a runny or stuffy nose and you have this symptom, that probably is something that's more specific for Covid. And it's one we would see less so in someone with a common cold or someone with influenza."
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The main symptoms of Covid-19 have changed over time - the current NHS list has these as the main ones:
- high temperature or shivering
- a new and continuous cough
- a blocked or runny nose
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a sore throat
- a headache
- an aching body
- feeling breathless
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick
Flu
Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:
- a sudden high temperature
- an aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or tummy pain
- feeling sick and being sick
The symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear and appear less active.
Cold
Cold symptoms come on gradually and can include:
- a blocked or runny nose
- a sore throat
- headaches
- muscle aches
- coughs
- sneezing
- a raised temperature
- pressure in your ears and face
- loss of taste and smell
The symptoms are the same in adults and children. Sometimes symptoms last longer in children.
All three, a cold, coronavirus and flu, are contagious. If you have symptoms stay at home to rest and protect others and visit the NHS website for advice.
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