Cold vs Flu vs Covid-19
These are very common questions you may get asked in pharmacy. Even though the common cold, covid and flu are respiratory diseases, they are caused by different viruses so it can be difficult to tell the difference based on symptoms alone.
So what is the difference between a cold, flu and coronavirus? Click the buttons below to discover the differences between them.
The symptoms are similar, but flu tends to be more severe
COLD |
FLU |
| Appears gradually | Apears quickly within a few hours |
| Affects mainly the nose and throat | Affects more than just the nose and throat |
| Individual feels unwell but OK to carry on as normal | The individual feels exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal |
It’s not easy to tell the difference between Covid and the flu.
They have many symptoms in common with Covid, such as a
- headache
- sore throat
- fever
- cough
- tiredness
- muscle aches
- runny nose and shortness of breath.
However, it’s unusual for the flu to cause a loss or change to your sense of taste and smell, which can happen with Covid.
Coronavirus symptoms can range from mild to severe which could lead to hospitalisation or death. If asn individual is suffering from the key COVID-19 symptoms, they should be advisd to follow the up to date guidelines: