Both the flu and the common cold are seasonal diseases. Although their features may be similar, there are also significant differences. The winter months are when most cases of the common cold and influenza, sometimes called the flu, occur.
Common Cold vs Flu: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between the flu and a cold is that the flu usually has more severe symptoms and potential side effects. It can be difficult or even impossible to know which of these illnesses a person has because the common cold and flu have similar symptoms. The flu is often worse than a cold. Cold symptoms develop slowly, but flu symptoms start suddenly and are usually more severe. Colds are more likely to cause a runny or stuffy nose. However, the following symptoms are more typical of the flu than a cold:
A fever is a temperature of 100°F (37.8°C) or higher that lasts for three to four days. Muscle aches, especially in the lower back, chills, weakness or fatigue, and migraines. Although diarrhea and vomiting are not common cold symptoms, both can occur in the flu. People can get the flu without showing obvious symptoms, including fever. Within a few days of the onset of their symptoms, a person may receive a special diagnostic test to determine whether they have the flu or a cold.
A cold or flu can also include symptoms that are comparable to other respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The flu usually has more severe symptoms than the common cold. The most common symptoms of a cold are runny nose and headache. Absence of taste is one of the features that distinguish the two conditions.
(With Dr. Vikrant Shah, Consulting Physician, Intensivist and Infectious Disease Specialist, Zen Multispeciality Hospital Chembur)
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