Temperatures drop and sneezing, coughing and fever begin. The pandemic is not over yet and sometimes we are not sure if we have COVID-19, a flu, a cold or a seasonal allergy because they share similar symptoms. Do you know what the differences are?
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Although with the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, it can now give a milder COVID-19, but the contagious capacity is maintained and other people can make the disease stronger, especially if they have some comorbidity and/or do not have completed their vaccination schedule.
Both diseases have similar signs and symptoms, which makes it difficult to tell them apart. Allergies and colds also appear in this season. Therefore, it is important to rule out to know what treatment to follow and avoid major complications.
WHAT SYMPTOMS DO THE FLU, COVID-19, COLD AND ALLERGY HAVE IN COMMON?
The flu and COVID-19, although each can have asymptomatic patients and severe cases, have symptoms in common, which have often made us doubt the type of disease we have. In the case of the cold, it shares several of the symptoms, but it does not have complications. These are:
- Fever or feeling feverish/chills.
- Cough.
- Difficulty breathing (feeling short of breath).
- Fatigue (tiredness).
- Throat pain.
- Runny nose or stuffy nose.
- Muscle pain and body aches.
- Headache.
- Vomiting and diarrhea. (Does not occur with cold)
- Change or loss of taste or smell, although it is more common with COVID-19. (Does not occur with cold)
Allergy
In the case of seasonal allergies, this is characterized by itching in the nose, eyes, mouth or ears. These are the symptoms it has in common with COVID-19, the flu and a cold:
- Cough.
- Fatigue.
- Throat pain.
- Stuffy or runny nose.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Loss of sense of taste. (Does not occur with cold)
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM COVID-19, INFLUENZA, COLD AND ALLERGY?
COVID-19, flu, cold and allergy can have similar symptoms and the first three diseases are spread in the same way, explains the mayo clinic.
- COVID-19: It is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- Flu: It is caused by influenza A and B viruses.
- A cold: mostly caused by rhinoviruses
- seasonal allergy: they are not caused by a virus. Seasonal allergies are immune system responses triggered by exposure to allergens, such as seasonal pollens from trees or grass.
How to detect what I have?
Because they have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to diagnose which condition you have based on symptoms alone. That’s why it’s important to get tested to find out if you have COVID-19 or the flu. You can also have both diseases at the same time, that’s called flurone. In the case of allergies, a blood test is done. The cold has mild symptoms.
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19, FLU AND ALLERGY?
COVID-19, the flu and allergies differ in:
COVID-19:
- Difficulty breathing.
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
- Confusion.
- Inability to wake up or stay awake.
- Pale, gray, or bluish skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
- People with COVID-19 may take longer to show symptoms and be contagious longer.
Influenza
- Diarrhea is more common in young children with influenza than in adults with influenza.
- It causes sinus and ear infections.
- People with asthma can have asthma attacks while they have the flu.
- Most people with the flu are contagious for about a day before they show symptoms.
A cold
- It is usually not complicated.
- It is treated with painkillers.
- It can last from three to ten days.
- It is presented, above all, cough, sore throat and nasal congestion.
- It will never cause diarrhea vomiting.
Allergy
- Itchy nose, eyes, mouth, or ears.
- It can be complicated by respiratory problems.
- People with asthma can experience complications from exposure to pollen.
- Seasonal allergies can last for several weeks.
- You will never have a fever or muscle pain.
- It will never cause diarrhea vomiting.
