Covid-19 is the new strain that can cause ranging from no symptoms to severe ones. Covid-19, Cold and common flu share similar characteristics and this a reason of great concern nowdays.
Let us briefly explain the symptoms of colds, flu, and COVID-19, and how to tell the difference between the three.
**If you have a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, you could be displaying the symptoms of a coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. You should visit the https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/en/ for more information.
Cold
Although catching a cold is certainly unpleasant, the symptoms will generally be milder than flu. While you will feel unwell, you can carry on as normal in most cases. Usually, the symptoms of a cold will develop gradually and affect mainly your nose and throat. These symptoms can include:
- Runny or stuffy nose.
- Mild cough.
- Aches and pains.
- Sore throat.
In this case you should get plenty of rest, keep warm, and drink plenty of water (around 6-8 glasses a day).
Flu
Seasonal influenza (flu) is a common respiratory infection caused by a virus. It affects your nose, throat, and lungs, and symptoms can appear within just a few hours. Flu can often make you feel too exhausted and unwell to go about your normal daily routines. The common symptoms of flu include:
- Fever and/or chills.
- Cough (usually a dry cough).
- Aches and pains.
- Sore throat.
- Feeling or being sick.
To help yourself to get better, you should rest, keep warm, and drink plenty of water. If the symptoms persist for more than three days you should visit your Personal Doctor or pharmacist for advice.
COVID-19
COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that can cause a severe respiratory illness. If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, you should stay at home as per WHO guidance, and not have any visitors until you can get a test and receive the result. You should only leave your home to have a test. Everyone within your home and in your support bubble must also stay at home until you have received your test result.
The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- A high temperature, where you feel hot to touch on your chest or back.
- A new, continuous cough, meaning you are coughing a lot for more than an hour or have 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough it may be worse than usual).
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
- Shortness of breath.
Avoid unnecessary interactions with other people until a negative result through a PCR test is obtained.
Telling the difference:
There are many similar symptoms of cold, flu, and COVID-19, so it may be difficult for you to tell the difference. The one key difference between all three is the shortness of breath associated with COVID-19. Generally, the flu or a cold doesn’t cause a shortness of breath as severe as COVID-19.
A runny nose, facial pain, and a post nasal drip (a feeling of constantly wanting to clear your throat) can be symptoms of the common cold, but they’re not typical of COVID-19.
The symptoms of flu and COVID-19 can be very similar and without testing, it can be very difficult to distinguish between them. If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19 you should stay at home, only leaving to get a test, as above.
Of course in any case you should seek professional advice.
Source: WHO
Never forget that vitamins are a booster to the immune system and you should always consult your healthcare professional.