How to know if it is flu, COVID or cold? |

Flu, COVID-19 and the common cold are all respiratory infections that share many symptoms, so it is often hard to tell them apart, just by how you feel. However, while only a test can confirm Covid, here are some symptoms that tell the 3 of them apart...Typical cold symptomsThe onset of a cold usually starts with throat discomfort, pain, nasal discharge and sneezing, which develops into full symptoms during a two-day period. Fever is uncommon in adults with a cold, when it occurs it is usually low-grade. body aches and strong fatigue are also less common, and stay mild.

Most colds have a brief duration with minimal symptoms because they peak during day 2 or 3 before starting to improve within 7–10 days; however, coughing and congestion may persist longer. The respiratory system of healthy people remains unaffected by colds, because these illnesses do not lead to breathing difficulties or dangerous lung infections. However, if one has asthma, it can lead to wheezing.

Typical flu symptomsThe onset of flu occurs rapidly when patients develop fever, along with chills, headache, dry cough and severe body pain. People who have the flu commonly report fatigue and muscle pain so severe that they feel like they have been ‘struck by a truck’.Fever is common in the flu, especially in the first 3–4 days, and may be accompanied by sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and sometimes, vomiting or diarrhoea (more often in children). The flu virus creates dangerous health issues, including pneumonia, and it worsens heart and lung diseases, often requiring hospital care, mainly affecting the elderly, pregnant individuals, or those with existing medical conditions.Typical COVID-19 symptomsCOVID-19 symptoms keep changing, but usually include a stuffy nose, sore throat, headache and tiredness. The illness causes fever and cough, along with breathing difficulties, chest pain and stomach problems leading to diarrhea. Loss or change of smell and taste was very typical earlier in the pandemic and can still occur, though it is now less common.Key differences in how you feelThere are some broad patterns that can help you guess which illness you might have, although there is a lot of overlap. The flu starts suddenly when patients experience severe fever, intense body pain and complete fatigue. Cold symptoms develop gradually; the illness remains mild and affects only the nasal and throat areas, causing sneezing and congestion.

COVID-19 can mimic some cold/flu symptoms but can also cause tiredness, headache and sometimes shortness of breath, or chest tightness.Symptom overviewColdA typical cold develops over a 1–2 day period, bringing occasional slight fever, some body pain, light fatigue, nasal discharge, congestion, frequent sneezing, occasional throat discomfort and light to moderate coughing. It can also alter your taste and smell, though complete loss is not common.FluThe onset of the flu (influenza) occurs rapidly within a few hours, developing into high fever, intense body pains, extreme fatigue, nasal congestion with occasional sneezing, throat pain and coughing, which may produce mucus and cause breathing difficulties if complications occur. The duration of the flu (influenza) typically spans one to two weeks, while patients experience prolonged fatigue after recovery.COVIDCOVID-19 symptoms can have either a sudden or gradual onset but can include fever, tiredness, body ache and shortness of breath. Loss of taste and smell, though less common, is still seen in many Covid cases.The only way to know if you have COVID is to get tested. The main reason for testing is to stop you from contracting a dangerous infection.How to protect yourself:

Disclaimer: This article is informational only and not a substitute for medical advice