【Flu Season】Different Symptoms of COVID, Flu and Cold
2023-4-25
Increasing number of flu A infections has been recorded in Hong Kong recently. People might have underestimated the damage of the flu virus after the COVID-19 pandemic, but a late treatment for flu might cause serious complications including bronchitis, pneumonia or even death. Flu should not be ignored, so let’s take a look at the different symptoms of COVID-19, flu and common cold.
Comparison of Common Symptoms
The mode of transmission of the 3 viruses include through respiratory droplets or contact of contaminated surfaces or objects, and they all share very similar symptoms of infection. Whilst the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are generally more severe and can affect your whole body rather than just your upper respiratory tract. Common symptoms are as follows:
✔️ Common ⦿ Sometimes/Rarely ❌ No
| Symptoms | Flu | COVID-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Affecting area | Whole body | Whole body |
| Conditions | Sudden worsening | Gradually worsening |
| Brain fog | ⦿ | ✔️ |
| Fever | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Loss of taste/smell | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Red, swollen eyes | ❌ | ⦿ |
| Skin rashes | ❌ | ⦿ |
| Fatigue | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Chills | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Cough | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sore throat | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Shortness of breath | ⦿ | ✔️ |
| Sneezing | ⦿ | ⦿ |
| Stuffy nose | ⦿ | ❌ |
| Runny nose | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Headache | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Chest pain | ⦿ | ✔️ |
| Muscle pain | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Diarrhea | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Nausea/vomiting | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Symptoms listed above are for references only, different types of flus or variants of coronavirus may induce varying symptoms.
Comparison of Incubation, Infectious and Recovery Periods
| Flu | COVID-19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Incubation | 1-4 days after infection | 2-5 days after infection (~3 days for Omicron) |
| Infectious | 1 day before symptom begin till 5-7 days of the illness | 2-3 days before symptom begin till 8-10 days of the illness |
| Recovery | 5-7 days | 3-14 days (depends) |
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BUY NOW →Complications Triggered By Different Infections
Mutual complications of flu and COVID-19 include pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute dyspnea syndrome, septicemia, thromboembolism/multiple organ failure, worsening chronic disease, myocarditis and encephalitis etc. However, 10-20% of COVID-19 patients may experience “long covid” – incl. an extended period of fatigue and other symptoms in respiratory tract and nerve system. Generally, immunocompromised and elderly persons have a higher risk of developing the above complications.
Rare complications of cold include bronchitis, pneumonia, otitis media and sinusitis etc.
Therefore, you should consult a doctor and receive treatment in case of discomfort.
