What’s the Difference Between the Flu, Covid, Allergies or a Cold?
Any time you have felt sick the past two years, you probably wondered whether your symptoms were COVID-19 or something else. Here’s the latest information on telling COVID apart from other common ailments.
Do you have COVID? The flu? Or is it just a cold or allergies? There are so many symptoms that overlap between these illnesses that it can be hard to tell.
For example, people who have the flu or COVID-19 might both have fever, cough, headaches and body aches. However, flu symptoms usually develop more quickly (1-4 days) than they do with COVID-19 (2-14 days). Of course, given the persistence of COVID and how easily some new strains can be transmitted, it’s important to get tested if you even suspect you could have it.
Colds and allergy symptoms are usually more mild and clear up more quickly. Wearing masks, washing your hands frequently, avoiding contact with people who are sick and getting a flu shot and vaccine are all ways to keep yourself from getting sick.
Read more: Is It Flu, COVID-19, Allergies or a Cold? [NIH News in Health]
