Duren Apothecary Logo

Get Healthy!

Is It a Cold, the Flu or COVID-19?
  • Posted November 3, 2020

Is It a Cold, the Flu or COVID-19?

Cold and flu season is here, so you need to know how to tell the difference between those illnesses and COVID-19, an expert says.

It's also especially important to get a flu shot this year, according to Dr. Sadiya Khan, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

"By getting a flu vaccine, you not only protect yourself, you boost your own immune system and protect others from the flu as well as a more severe illness if you were to contract both influenza and COVID-19," Khan said in a university news release.

"Getting vaccinated is especially important if you are pregnant or immunocompromised or have direct contact with someone who is," she emphasized.

"There are many symptoms of a 'common cold,' flu and COVID-19 that overlap, including fever, sneezing, cough and fatigue," Khan said.

"One symptom that seems to be unique to COVID-19 is a loss of sense of smell or taste. However, none of these symptoms are perfect to diagnose the cause of 'cold-like' symptoms, and the only way to know for sure is to get tested," she said.

Compared to the flu and COVID-19, the common cold is usually a mild illness. Common symptoms include: runny or stuffy nose; sneezing; sore throat; cough; sinus congestion, and postnasal drainage.

The flu can cause mild to severe illness or even death. Common symptoms include: high fever; sore throat; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; muscle aches or weakness; fatigue; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

"COVID-19 is caused by a new virus called SARS-CoV-2 and can be asymptomatic or cause mild to severe illness and has contributed to more than 200,000 United States deaths this year. The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is to wear a mask outside your home, practice physical distancing and wash hands frequently," Khan said.

Common COVID-19 symptoms include: high fever; cough (it may be a deep cough); shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; muscle aches or weakness; fatigue; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, and loss of taste and/or smell.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19.

SOURCE: Northwestern University, news release, Oct. 27, 2020

HealthDay
Health News is provided as a service to Duren Apothecary site users by HealthDay. Duren Apothecary nor its employees, agents, or contractors, review, control, or take responsibility for the content of these articles. Please seek medical advice directly from your pharmacist or physician.
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay All Rights Reserved.

Share

Tags