The holidays are here, along with your uncle’s snuffy nose and sniffles. With the pandemic still ongoing and the surge of the Omicron variant, many struggle with trying to determine if their symptoms are COVID, the flu, or just a regular cold. Hilary Sloane tells you the symptoms to look out for…
Colds develop gradually while the flu typically shows symptoms in 1-4 days, and COVID-19 symptoms appear five days after infection but can be as soon as two days and up to 14 days to appear. Fevers are rare with colds, typical with COVID, and only happen sometimes with the flu. Loss of taste or smell is uncommon in colds, sometimes with the flu and typical with Covid.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the following most common symptoms, all of which may vary from person to person. Please note that information continues to evolve about COVID-19.
| Symptoms & Signs | Cold | Flu | COVID-19 |
| Symptom Timing | Gradual | Symptoms typically appear 1-4 days after infection | Symptoms typically appear 5 days after infection, but can be as soon as 2 days and up to 14 days |
| Fever or feeling feverish | Rare | Sometimes | Typical |
| Chills | Uncommon | Typical | Typical |
| Headache | Uncommon | Typical | Typical |
| Muscle pain or body aches | Slight | Typical | Typical |
| Fatigue | Sometimes | Typical | Typical |
| Cough | Mild to moderate | Typical | Typical |
| Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath | Uncommon | Typical | Typical |
| Sore throat | Common | Sometimes | Typical |
| Runny or stuffy nose | Common | Sometimes | Typical |
| Sneezing | Common | Sometimes | Not common |
| Vomiting and diarrhea | Rare | More common in children than adults | Typical |
| New loss of taste or smell | Uncommon | Sometimes | Typical |
Colds, the flu and COVID-19 are caused by different viruses, and the difference can be undetectable by symptoms alone. Seek a test to confirm a diagnosis. Protect your community by staying home and avoiding interactions within 6 feet of others when experiencing any of the above symptoms. Please don’t delay care.
