Flu, COVID or cold: what’s the difference?

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(Gray News) – With the kids back to class and flu season approaching, it’s good to recognize the differences between the flu, COVID-19, and a common cold.

Both COVID-19 and the flu can present with varying degrees of symptoms, ranging from no symptoms to severe symptoms.

Cold symptoms are usually milder than flu symptoms and usually appear gradually.

Because the symptoms are so similar, a flu or COVID-19 test is needed to help confirm a diagnosis.

What you need to know about the flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu usually comes on suddenly and has some or all of the following symptoms:

fever or feeling feverish / chills
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
headache
tired
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, although this is more common in children than in adults.

Most people usually show symptoms between one and four days after infection.

A person with the flu is contagious for about a day before showing symptoms and is usually most contagious during the first three to four days of their illness, according to the CDC. Many people are contagious for about a week.

Like COVID-19, the flu can be spread between people who are in close contact with each other.

The CDC recommends getting the flu shot by the end of October.

What you need to know about COVID-19

The CDC says people with COVID-19 have a wider range of symptoms, which can appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

While this list is not exhaustive, as health experts continue to learn more about the virus, a person with COVID-19 could experience some of these symptoms:

fever or chills
cough
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
tired
muscle or body pain
headache
new loss of taste or smell
sore throat
stuffy or runny nose
nausea or vomiting
diarrhea

According to the CDC, a person with COVID-19 can be contagious for about two days before showing symptoms and remain contagious for at least 10 days after being infected – even if the person is asymptomatic.

COVID-19 is spread from person to person who is about six feet from each other and is generally more contagious than influenza viruses.

It is recommended that anyone over 12 years of age be vaccinated against COVID-19.

What you need to know about the common cold

People with colds usually have a gradual onset of at least some of the following symptoms:

cough / chest discomfort
tired
sneeze
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose

Cold symptoms are less severe than the flu or COVID-19 and usually don’t cause serious health problems.

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